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Cong. playing 'petty politics'in vice-presidential poll: BJP

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD July 6. The BJP president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, has charged the Congress with playing ``petty politics'' once again on the issue of election of the Vice-President.

He said the Congress decided to put up a candidate even before the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, formally began consultations with political parties to find a consensus candidate.

"The Prime Minister will begin the exercise at an appropriate time. Why this row when we did not mention any name,'' he asked.

Talking to reporters here today, Mr. Naidu said the Congress and other Opposition parties had caused embarrassment to the President, K.R. Narayanan, by telling the media that he was willing for a second term when he did not say that. On the election of the Vice-President he said, "there will be no problem. We have the numbers and we will win.''

He sought to put the record straight as to who "our leader is'' in the context of the ``vicious propaganda'' of the Opposition that the elevation of L.K. Advani as the Deputy Prime Minister signalled the grip of Hindutva forces over the party. "Mr. Vajpayee is the leader of the country, the NDA and the BJP. He is the undisputed leader to me, Mr. Advani and everyone in the party. There is no groupism in the party.''

The Opposition attempts to drive a wedge between the BJP and the NDA would never succeed.

Mr. Naidu further said the trifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir would not be in the interest of the country. ``I beg to differ with my friends in this regard, be they from the VHP or the RSS.''

Mr. Naidu said he would reconstitute the party; the new team and the agenda would be in place by mid-July. The focus would be on team-building, ability and mobility and accountability of the cadre.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supported the BJP-led coalition and BJP would have friendly relations with it in Andhra Pradesh. However, nothing would prevent the BJP from agitating on people's issue.

On the BJP posing a threat to the TDP under his leadership, Mr. Naidu said there was "enough political space in the State for both to grow."

The State BJP president, C. Ramachandra Reddy, Union Ministers from the State, Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, B. Dattatreya and U. Krishnam Raju, were also present.

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