Bjp Forming New Front: Vajpayee

Senior BJP leader Atal Behari Vajpayee yesterday hinted that his party was in the process of forming a National Democratic Front (NDF) comprising its allies and regional parties with a common minimum programme.

He, however, said the Front would not stake claim to form government at the Centre on its own adding we would however like to apprise the President of all these developments.

We are working on to have a front with all our allies and even with the regional parties with a common minimum programme, Vajpayee told reporters here saying something concrete should emerge in a couple of days.

We are working on forming a political bridge of the parties. We have already laid the foundation of a bridge but efforts are on to have a political bridge soon at the national level, he said after laying the foundation of a bridge near here.

Vajpayee refused to comment when asked whether BJP was in touch with the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) and DMK, but said some regional groups might come with the BJP in the formation of a front.

We are discussing with the Bahujan Samaj Party on this count, Vajpayee said.

The former Prime Minister said he did not foresee a Congress-United Front patch up. Asked about what was the likelsy scenario at the Centre after the defeat of Deve Gowda government in a confidence vote in Parliament on April 11, Vajpayee said it is all upto the President Shankar Dayal Sharma.

At present, mid-term elections appear inevitable, he said.