AGP walks up to NDA door

Fernandes said the first draft of the NDA agenda of governance has been prepared and the roadmap includes several political and economic issues. The agenda for governance will be finalised by the end of the month.

The Defence Minister stressed the need for having a separate office for the ruling alliance. ‘‘We need an office to process the reports of fact-finding missions that the NDA sends…also a structured process for finding out who to send for these missions…I have discussed the issue in an informal NDA meeting this month,’’ said Fernandes.

The Defence Minister said the NDA had ‘‘no view’’ on Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani’s rath yatra. ‘‘It is the BJP that is doing it for its own campaign…it is far more dignified than the roadshows,’’ he said.

He, however, ruled out any move by the NDA parties to join the BJP as they had ‘‘different perceptions and ideologies’’. ‘‘Every party within the NDA has different policy statements and programmes,’’ Fernandes said.

He admitted that there were differences on seat-sharing between the JD(U) and the BJP in Bihar and Karnataka but said they would be sorted out soon. He claimed that the NDA would win 300 seats in the forthcoming elections with increased numbers in Bihar. If the NDA gets a majority in the Rajya Sabha, it would move a resolution in Parliament to impose President’s rule in Bihar, he said.

Fernandes called Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav his ‘‘personal and political friend’’ and praised him for understanding the ‘‘country’s prestige’’ by not helping Sonia Gandhi become prime minister.