“The NDA is discussing with important political parties to strike a pre-poll alliance for the coming Lok Sabha elections.

We are confident that three to four parties will come into its fold,” BJP Vice-President Mukthar Abbas Naqvi told a Press conference in Bangalore.

He refused to name the political outfits with which NDA is in talks while responding to a query whether the new political party Praja Rajyam launched recently in Andhra Pradesh by film star Chiranjeevi would join NDA.

Naqvi, who is here to assist his party’s Karnataka unit in making preparations for the upcoming three-day National Executive to be held from September 12, ruled out BJP withdrawing support to BJD government in Orissa in the wake of sectarian violence.

“We are concerned over the developments in Orissa. But BJD is one of our important allies. The ongoing trouble will not affect BJP-BJD relations. We will not withdraw support to the government,” he said.

The BJP Central Election Committee is meeting in Delhi on September two and expected to finalise at least 300 candidates for the next year’s Lok Sabha polls, he said.