Next election to be fought under Vajpayee: V Naidu

In the midst of a flutter over Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's remarks, BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday said the next general election would be fought under Vajpayee and on the basis of the performance of his government.

A day after Vajpayee's statement that Advani would lead the party in the next general election, Naidu met central office bearers at the party headquarters in Delhi.

Later when newspersons accosted him, he accused the media of blowing the prime minister's statement out of proportion.

Naidu is believed to have talked to the prime minister over telephone in the morning and discussed the issue with him in the wake of the flutter recent statements by Vajpayee and him have caused.