Sunday, May 1 2005 15:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Lucknow: Putting an end to confusion over the leadership issue in BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today (May 1, 2005) asserted party president L K Advani would lead the party in the next general elections.

"Advani is our leader and will lead the party in the next general elections," he told reporters after attending the national executive of BJP Mahila Morcha in Lucknow.

"There should be no confusion over the leadership issue," Vajpayee said.

On party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi's remarks in Rampur yesterday that the second generation leadership would lead the party in the next elections, he said there was nothing unusual about his statement.

"Leadership keeps changing. New leaders take over from the old one and it is a continuous process," he said.

Reservation for women

Earlier, delivering his speech at the inaugural session of the executive committee meeting of the party's Mahila Morcha, Vajpayee attacked the Congress over its stand on the issue of reservation for women.

"Congress had been a votary of reservation for women but after coming to power it has remained silent over the issue," he said adding perhaps this is because some members in the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) coalition are not in favour of it.

"It appears that Congress is more interested in power than providing due share and place to women.... But we in the BJP are committed towards reservation for women," he said adding the issue of reservation for women will be a major issue in the next elections.

"Women do not get their due ... They face difficulty in fighting for their rights and reservation was a must for their all-round development," he added.

Vajpayee, who had worked towards providing 33 per cent reservation for women during the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) regime, said the issue of how much quota should be allotted to women can be deliberated upon.