Thaindian News

Kolkata, Dec 1 (IANS) Asserting that it was prepared for mid-term polls in the country, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday exuded confidence of crossing 170 Lok Sabha seats on its own.

Party chief Nitin Gadkari also said the BJP-headed National Democratic Alliance (NDA) headed would expand with lot of others joining it once the BJP crossed the 170-mark in seat tally whenever the elections were held.

“We are ready for it,” Gadkari said when asked whether his party was ready for mid- term polls.

“But I am no astrologer that I can tell you when elections will be held… I don’t know. Anything can happen in cricket and politics,” he quipped during informal talks with mediapersons here.

Asked about the number of seats the BJP was expecting, he said: “At any cost we will go over 200 on our own”.

He said once the BJP tally reached 170, those keeping away from his party would join in and the NDA will be expanded.

“Had we got 170 (in the last polls) our image would have looked good. Lot of parties would have come to our alliance. Problem in politics is your strength is very important. In the next elections also, when we cross 170, within a fraction of a second our NDA will be expanded. There is no doubt in my mind about that,” he said.

Gadkari said he was “101 percent hopeful” that his party-led NDA would return to power after the next Lok Sabha polls as the Congress was not in a good position.

The BJP leader denied that his party lacked any second-rung leadership and as such it had not named any prime-ministerial candidate. “There are lot of leaders in our party who are capable of being prime minister. Even the congress also cannot say who will be their prime ministerial candidate in the next election.

“When the elections are held, we will decide on this. Yes, it is true we do not have anybody of the stature of Vajpayee,” he said.

Gadkari refused to comment on a future alliance with the Trinamool saying: “I will not talk on possibilities now. As a national president, I think the BJP should work to increase its strength in West Bengal”.

“However, the Delhi election will not be between the Trinamool and the Communist Party of India - Marxist. They have to support either the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance or the BJP-led NDA”.

“There will be a polarisation between the UPA and the NDA. The Congress is now not in a good shape. So if the BJP is in a good shape then parties like Trinamool will have to take a call. And we will get good support.”

But Gadkari said, as of now, neither the Trinamool had given any proposal to support the BJP nor the BJP sought it.