Bharatiya Janata Party president M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would continue to lead the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the Lok Sabha polls due in 2004.
He said this while visiting Thiruvananthapuram in connection with the BJP state committee meeting and organisational elections.
Stating that there was no proposal before the party to advance the Lok Sabha election, Naidu said 'we propose to hold them as per schedule'.
Indicating that Ramjanmabhoomi issue would not be a major poll campaign material for the polls, Naidu said good governance and development would be the poll plank of the NDA.
Admitting that construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya was dear to the heart of BJP, Naidu said there was no agreement on it in NDA and so there was no forward movement in the matter. He said consultation, court verdict or legislation were the three ways to resolve issue.
Asked whether BJP had any understanding with Jayalalithaa's All-India Anna Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam ruling in Tamil Nadu, he said the party was in alliance with the Karunanidhi-led DMK and working together with that party at the Centre.
"I do not have any new plans as of now," he said when asked about the future political plans in Tamil Nadu.
Naidu said organisational elections of the party would be completed by September 30 and the new national president would be elected by the end of this year.
He said the party has an objective of getting 300 seats during the next Parliament polls and two-third majority with the NDA allies.
"It is not an ordinary task. It is very difficult, but is not impossible," Naidu said adding that was the reason for spreading the party to all parts of the country.
The NDA government was able to implement welfare as well development programmes during the last five years with limited majority than many of the previous Congress-led governments, Naidu claimed.
