Hyderabad: Hinting at early Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh in the changed political scenario following the assassination bid on Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an ally of ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), on October 11 said the attack on the Chief Minister would 'certainly be an election issue' and should be seen in a wider perspective as an affront to democracy.

"Though there is no concrete signal from TDP about advancing polls, we do not rule out such a possibility," party spokesman Prof S V Seshagiri Rao and general secretary K Lakshman told reporters in Hyderabad adding that the party was gearing up for the polls.

Stating that there was a 'groundswell' of sympathy for Naidu, who survived an assassination attempt by extremists, the leaders, however, did not agree with the argument that TDP-BJP combine was keen to capitalise on perceived sympathy for the Chief Minister and convert it into votes.

"Since naxalites do not believe in democracy and the power of ballot, elections will provide an opportunity for people to reaffirm their faith in democracy and thereby reject extremist philosophy," they said.

The BJP leaders' views come in the wake of media reports suggesting that TDP leadership was mulling over the option of early polls keeping in view the outpouring of sympathy for Naidu.

The Assembly elections are due in September 2004.

PTI