BJP forecasts early mid-term polls, asks units to prepare

New Delhi, Aug 31 (UNI) Claiming that there was a 'big breach' within the UPA over the Indo-US nuclear deal, the BJP today asked its state units to prepare themselves to face a mid-term parliamentary poll.

A call to this effect was given to the party's state units after a meeting of top BJP leaders at the party headquarters this evening, where it was felt that the mid-term polls were imminent as the 'crack' in the UPA, particularly the Congress and the Left, could not be bridged at all.

Those who attended to day's marathon meeting included party President Rajnath Singh, Leaders of Opposition in Parliament L K Advani and Jaswant Singh and Senior leaders who Murli Manohar Joshi, Sushma Swaraj and Bal Apte.

BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley said the state units will have to prepare to face an early election because the UPA will not be able to hold on till 2009 when the next general elections is due.

''Today's meeting concentrated only on mid-term polls and nothing else,'' he told mediapersons after the meet.

Mr Jaitley said the government should accept the BJP's demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee for bringing a national concensus on an issue like Indo-US nuclear deal.

He said the BJP's national executive meeting will be held between September 21 and 23 at Bhopal.

UNI