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No pressure on me to quit: Naidu

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI JUNE 9. The BJP president, Venkaiah Naidu, told the media here today that the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, would lead the NDA to victory in the 2004 Parliament election.

While the BJP itself was confident of winning about 300 seats, the NDA as a whole would secure more than a two-thirds majority, he said.

Referring to alliances for the next election, he said it was premature now to talk about tie-ups as it would be decided only at the time of the poll. Now, the party was interested in expanding its base. On the recent controversy over the BJP leadership, Mr. Naidu said that it was only a creation of the media and the Opposition parties and affirmed that there was absolute unity and cohesion in the leadership of the Government and the party. He also dismissed that there was pressure on him to resign the party post following the controversy.

Describing the Congress demand for the resignation of the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, and the Human Resource Minister, Murali Manohar Joshi, as absurd and meaningless, he said the kar sevaks concerned had not filed any affidavit before the Liberhan Commission or made any statements before the court or the CBI. Earlier, Mr. Naidu addressed party representatives and Ministers in charge of seven Union Territories, including Pondicherry. He directed the Ministers and MLAs to make frequent visits to their constituencies and hear the grievances of the people.

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