NDA lost 2004 polls due to over confidence, says Advani

Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani on Monday said that the National Democratic Alliance lost the 2004 general elections due to 'over confidence' and use of wrong slogans like 'India Shining'.

Addressing a conference of the BJP's Traders' Cell in New Delhi, Advani said after being in power for six years and giving good governance under the prime ministership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the NDA was confident of forming the next government.

"The impression even among the opponents and foreign analysts was that we will win....but we lost...one, due to over-confidence and secondly, using some wrong slogans like India Shining," he said.

Advani, who was the then deputy prime minister, said this slogan was used by BJP opponents, who asked the voters if they really felt India was shining.

"Our opponents went to the people and asked them if their homes were shining...everybody has his own problems...there is so much poverty in the country, farmers have their problems... they said where is India shining," he quipped.

Taking a dig at Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, Advani said they won the 2004 polls with the support of the common man.

"Five years down the line, we get reports that so many Indians have become billionaires. On the other hand, the Indian Statistical Institute has stated that the number of people below the poverty line has gone up by 5.5 crore from 3.5 crore in the last five years," he said.