November 25, 2003	Tuesday	Ramazan 29, 1424

NEW DELHI, Nov 24: Indian Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani Monday ruled out a general election earlier than scheduled in October 2004.

Advani also said the results of provincial elections in the four politically important states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, New Delhi and Rajasthan on December 1, could not be taken as a litmus test of the popularity of his ruling Hindu nationalist BJP, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency said.

Political observers had speculated that the government could bring forward the date of the general election and also termed the state polls as the “semi-finals” to a national poll.

But Advani said they could not be defined as the “semi-finals” as the term signified the participation of four teams.

“Now the contest is only between the BJP and the Congress,” Advani said.

National elections next year also would be a straight fight between the BJP and the main opposition Congress, he said.

The Congress is currently in power in all four states going to the polls in December.

The BJP is making a strong bid to oust them, but pre-poll surveys have predicted that it will win only in Madhya Pradesh, while the Congress will retain power in the other three states.

The BJP came to power in national elections in 1999 but has lost ground to the Congress in subsequent assembly polls.

The Congress currently rules about 14 of India’s 28 states.—AFP