The Hindu Business Line : March-April ideal for polls: Mahajan

Mr Pramod Mahajan, General Secretary and spokesman, Bharatiya Janata Party, proceeding to address the press in Hyderabad on Saturday in connection with the BJP National Executive meeting starting Sunday. — A. Roy Chowdhury

Hyderabad , Jan. 10

THE Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday hinted the dissolution of the Lok Sabha either by the end of January or early February to facilitate the possibility of holding general elections by March end.

The BJP General Secretary, Mr Pramod Mahajan, said early polls could be held in March provided the Election Commission held elections within 45 days of the dissolution of the House to install a popular Government. The commission was duty bound to install a popular Government at the earliest, he told presspersons ahead of the party's national executive meeting in Hyderabad, which is set to decide the party's elections strategy.

Stating that monsoon season was not conducive to hold elections as most of the country was impacted by rains, Mr Mahajan said the party felt that March - April was the ideal time to hold polls.

Mr Mahajan said the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would contest the polls backed by strong leadership, the stability plank and performance.

"Economic agenda will precede the political agenda" at the two-day meeting starting on Sunday, according to Mr Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, General Secretary of BJP.

He told a separate press conference that a financial agenda would be charted after discussions with senior party leaders, which will be attended by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, other senior leaders and seven BJP Chief Ministers. Thereafter, an election blueprint would be charted out. The meeting will take stock of the `feel good factor' and, thereafter, seek to set a scorching pace for growth.