Thursday, September 28 2006 11:18 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Buoyed by reports that George Fernandes appeared on his way to the Samajwadi Party, Congress yesterday (Sept 27, 2006) sought to embarrass the BJP-led NDA by raising doubts over the longevity of the opposition alliance.

Party spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi told reporters that the NDA, which was a 24-party alliance, has been gradually withering away since the last Lok Sabha elections with a dozen of the parties leaving the grouping before the polls.

He said that now there have been doubts over in which party the NDA convenor George Fernandes is in as there were reports that he was joining a party which is anti-NDA.

Chaturvedi said that the opposition alliance was in greater disarray due to the internal turmoil of the BJP.

On the other hand, he claimed the ruling UPA was on sound ground and would remain so till and after the next elections.

When asked how TRS has left the UPA, he said that efforts were still on to bring it back in the alliance.

At one point he said that the Vaiko-led MDMK was still part of the UPA, but later said that he would 'find out and come back'.