New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally Akali Dal today (Jan 8, 2004) indicated that it wants to contest more number of seats in the coming Lok Sabha polls in Punjab than in 1999, but ruled out reconsidering its ties with National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

"In the last Lok Sabha elections, out of the 13 seats in Punjab, Akali Dal had contested 10 and BJP three. But this time, we are trying to get more than that... If our candidates win, it would anyway benefit NDA," Akali Dal leader and Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said.

He said his party would stick with NDA and ruled out Akali Dal putting up its candidates from other States.

On the reported statement of Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) president G S Tohra that Akali Dal should reconsider its alliance with NDA, Dhindsa clarified it was not so. "He had said it angrily. The BJP is asking for five seats... we want to take more. Let's see, we will negotiate," he said.

A committee would be set up once the elections are announced to work out the seat sharing arrangement with the NDA, Dhindsa said.

On the main poll issues in Punjab, Dhindsa said, "We will focus on the 'zero' performance of the State Government, corruption which had increased manifold, inner turmoil in Congress and the good performance of the NDA at the Centre."

Dhindsa said Akali Dal was fully prepared for polls, but because of April being harvest month, most of the farmers are busy and they will suggest to the Government to have elections there either in March or May.