New Delhi, June 23: Congress today said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani heaping lavish praise on each other at the recent BJP "chintan baithak" only showed the "awkward" attempt to "conceal the differences" in the leadership. "The unusual manner in which Prime Minister heaped praise on Advani and BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu and Advani and Naidu reciprocating compliments is indicative of an awkward attempt on their part to conceal the differences,” Congress spokesman S Jaipal Reddy told reporters here.

Vajpayee was trying to show that he had forgiven Advani, as also Naidu who has been "his master's voice", an apparent reference to the BJP president's proximity to the Deputy Prime Minister.
At the end of the recent "chintan baitak", the differences had been "deepened" and they were not ideological and revolved around "personal ambition,” he said.

Stating that Congress was "disappointed" to learn that BJP was not in favour of advancing elections to Lok Sabha, Reddy said Congress always welcomed an early poll and that was the only way to "relieve" the country of the "misgovernance" of BJP-led government.
Replying to a question, Reddy said that the high level PAC would be meeting in the next few days.

Bureau Report