Mysore: Dismissing the controversy over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership, Defence Minister George Fernandes said on June 7 that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was the leader of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the name of Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani did not figure in the NDA agenda.

Asked about the confusion on the leadership issue at a press conference Fernandes, who is also the NDA convenor, said he did not understand as to where the confusion was.

He said so far as the leadership of NDA Government was concerned, it was Vajpayee. The Prime Minister might have suggested Advani's name to lead his (BJP) party in the next Lok Sabha polls, he said.

Fernandes asked the media not to worry about the NDA leadership, asserting "it is sound and healthy."

On Samata Party, he said it was cohesive as always and there were no differences of opinion between him and Railway Minister Nitish Kumar.

PTI