NEW DELHI: The former Prime Minister and National Democratic Alliance chairman, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on Tuesday described the United Progressive Alliance as "unstable" and said there was a "talk of mid-term elections" in the UPA, increasing its difficulties.

Addressing a weekly meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party's parliamentary wing here, Mr. Vajpayee asked the MPs to be "vigilant" and do their job in their constituencies as they had done inside Parliament during the just-concluded session. Appreciating their performance, Mr. Vajpayee said the MPs should carry the political message from the numerous debates back to their constituencies.

BJP spokesperson V.K. Malhotra told reporters that Mr. Vajpayee had said the talk of mid-term poll in the UPA emanated from the instability of the alliance.

To a question on the frequent "stories" emanating from the BJP on the imminent collapse of the UPA leading to mid-term polls,he denied that the BJP planted such "stories."

Constructive approach

He said Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani, who also addressed the meeting, pointed out that the Opposition had adopted a constructive approach but this did not prevent it from raising concerns and voicing protests against wrongdoings. Mr. Advani claimed that the BJP forced the Government to get the resignation of a Minister after the tabling of the Action Taken Report on the Nanavati Commission report on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Mr. Advani said the charge made by Congress president Sonia Gandhi that the BJP had changed its stand on the Women's Reservation Bill was "baseless." The BJP would support any consensus formula for reservation for women or one designed to increase it. However, as there was no consensus even within the UPA on 33.3 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and the State Assemblies, the BJP suggested the "next best formula" under which the political parties would have to give ticket for 33.3 per cent of all seats to women. This would find wider acceptance.

Now that the Parliament session was over, the BJP would strongly oppose any increase in the prices of petro-products or any move to bring foreign direct investment in retail trade.

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