New Delhi: Rallying behind the leadership of Prime Minister, his deputy L K Advani today (Jan 10, 2004) declared that Atal Bihari Vajpayee would lead the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections and exuded confidence that people would give five-year mandate again to him.

"When we go to polls this year, people will give a five-year mandate to Vajpayeeji. I have no doubt about it," Advani told the second Pravasi Bharati Conference.

Advani's comments come close on the heels of Vajpayee's remarks that he was "fit and ready" for elections but nothing had been decided about who would lead BJP in the polls.