Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, BJP general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu said that there was no question of joining hands with Sharad Pawar and others. "We are capable of fighting the polls on our own," he said.

According to Naidu, the Congress had become weak following expulsion of its three important leaders. In major states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Maharashtra, the Congress was not in a position to fight elections on its own, the BJP leader averred.

He pointed out that there was no clarity in the Congress camp and its allies were divided over many issues including the foreign origin of Sonia Gandhi.

Reiterating the need for a national debate on the question of a foreign-born citizen occupying top positions, he said it was a welcome development that the issue was raised by Congressmen themselves.

Heclaimed that there was a groundswell of sympathy for Vajpayee after the Congress pulled down the 13-month-old BJP-led coalition. People were angry with Congress leaders for thrusting a "costly mid-term election" on the nation.

On the possibility of alliance with the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh, he said that the issue would be considered at a later stage.