New Delhi: In the midst of a flutter over Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's remarks, BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) president, M Venkaiah Naidu on June 5, said the next general elections would be fought in the name of Vajpayee and the performance of his government.

A day after Vajpayee's statement that Advani would lead the party to victory, Naidu met central office bearers at the party headquarters.

Later when reporters accosted him, he accused the media of blowing out of proportion statements made by the Prime Minister.

Naidu is also believed to have talked to the Prime Minister over telephone this morning and discussed the issue with him in the wake of various statements by Vajpayee and his own statements.

In the wake of Vajpayee's interview to a German publication last week that he would retire if his Pakistan peace initiative failed, Naidu had talked of projecting Vajpayee as "Vikas Purush" (man of development) and deputy Prime Minister L K Advani as (iron man) in the next elections.

PTI