LS elections likely early next year: Advani

Kochi, Sep 2: Holding both the Congress and the Communists responsible for the UPA Government's ''destablisation'', leader of the Opposition L K Advani today claimed the Lok Sabha elections were likely to be held early next year. Addressing a press conference here, Mr Advani said the party was being kickstarted into election mode in view of the ''bizarre tug-of-war between the Congress and the Communists'' on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Stating that the events of the last two to three weeks had made it certain that the present ruling alliance would not last its full term till 2009, he said the elections were likely to take place anytime before that, perhaps in the earlier part of 2008.

Asserting that the early elections would lead people ''to conclude that neither the Congress nor the Communists can be trusted to provide a stable and strong government,'' Mr Advani said the NDA expected to ''bounce back to power'' in the next elections.

Asked who would lead the BJP in the next elections, Mr Advani said it would be decided by the party. Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had been hospitalised recently for knees problem even after the joint replacement surgery.

Mr Advani said, nevertheless, he continued to attend all meetings and was very active in sharing his ideas and experiences. Criticising the UPA Government for refusing to set up the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) in view of the Opposition to the 123 Agreement between India and the US on nuclear energy cooperation, he said this was a sign of both the government's arrogance and its lack of faith in the principle of national consensus on vital foreign and defence policy issues.

Terming ''unacceptable'' the proposed Congress-Left joint committee to resolve their differences on the 123 Agreement, Mr Advani said this was an issue concerning not only the Congress and the Communists but the entire nation. ''They cannot treat it like a private matter. This is a matter in which the entire Parliament is concerned,'' he added.

Stating that the Left and the Congress had fundamental differences on foreign and economic policy issues, he said the present impasse between the two was the ''wages of the opportunistic alliance'' struck by them against the BJP.

UNI