Saturday, February 5 2005 12:52 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Slamming the Congress for looking to NDA (National Democratic Alliance) ally JDU (Janata Dal United) for a post-poll alliance to prop a new Government in the event of a hung Assembly in Bihar, BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) today (Feb 5, 2005) accused it of ''living in hallucinations'' and said that the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) might crack up after the Assembly poll.

''Congress is just living in hallucinations. Both BJP and JDU have a strong bond of friendship. We are pre-poll allies and will continue to maintain our old relations,'' BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley said reacting to Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi's statement.

Singhvi responding to a pointed question about Congress approaching JDU for power sharing had told a press conference in New Delhi yesterday that ''politics is all about possibilities''.

Referring to Singhvi's comment on a post-poll alliance, Jaitley said, ''The Congress spokesman has made it clear that that party and the LJP (Lok Janshakti Party) disguised as vote-katua (vote cutters) are fighting the polls for a hung Assembly and the two parties will gang up after the elections to pave the way for the return of the RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) misrule.''

He scotched speculations of a hung Assembly in Bihar and said, "we are confident of a decisive mandate in favour of the JDU and the BJP to form the next Government to bring to an end the terror raj.''

Referring to LJP president and Union Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister Ramvilas Paswan's claim that the Congress and LJP would form the next Government in Bihar and that he (Paswan) will not have any tie up with the RJD in his life time, Jaitley asked him to break away from the UPA Government at the Centre if he was ''really'' interested in ending the RJD misrule.

Jaitley alleged that LJP was thoroughly confused about its stand on Bihar and New Delhi and predicted that keeping in view the differences among the allies in Bihar, the UPA might crack up. ''And once the cracks appear they can't be plugged.''

Charging the Congress and the LJP with ''double speak'' on the worsening situation in Bihar, he said the latter was fighting the elections in Bihar seeking to end the RJD rule but at the same time Paswan together with Laloo Prasad were allies of the UPA.

''People are aware of their sinister game-plan and will teach them a lesson in the ongoing polls,'' he said.

Jaitley described as hypothetical questions as to whether the NDA would share power with the LJP in the event of a hung Assembly.

''There is no possibility of a hung Assembly as we are firm in our resolve to free the State from the terror raj of the present regime and we will get a thumping majority to form the Government on our own,'' he claimed.