The Hindu : NDA will win in style, says Fernandes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 11, 2004

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National

NDA will win in style, says Fernandes

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, JAN. 10. The Defence Minister, George Fernandes, today expressed confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would "win in style" in the coming general elections and form the government.

Speaking to presspersons after participating in the golden jubilee celebrations of the Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala here, he hinted that the NDA constituents were ready for polls and that the Prime Minister had been authorised to decide on the timing of the elections. "Whenever elections are held, the NDA will win in great style and we will form the next government." They would stick to the common minimum programme with a common agenda as they had during the past five years, he added.

On the efforts for the merger of the Janata Parivar factions, Mr. Fernandes said this would not endanger the NDA but only strengthen it. "Even in the last elections we contested as a single entity and are striving to do so in the ensuing elections. Similar efforts are on in Karnataka also."

Mr. Fernandes declined to comment on the possibilities of the AIADMK supporting the NDA to neutralise the impact of the Congress-DMK alliance in Tamil Nadu or the Nationalist Congress Party extending support to the NDA.

He scotched rumours that the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, V. Srinivas Prasad, was disenchanted with the NDA and keen on joining the Janata Dal (Secular) and said Mr. Prasad had not said anything like that to him.

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