The BSP's decision to join hands with BJP in the Gujarat assembly elections was welcomed by the saffron party's state leadership, saying it would lay a roadmap for a possible tie-up at the national level in future. The next parliamentary elections would be a historic one if the BJP and BSP contested as allies. "We will sweep the polls," BJP spokesman Hridaya Narayan Dixit said here on Sunday.

Though BSP's decision would not change BJP's fortunes in the coming Gujarat elections as BSP is "yet to make a presence in the state and BJP is already in the driving seat," the partnership would open "new vistas" of alliance, Dixit said.

"We contested the recent J & K elections as rivals. Now, change in Mayawati's heart could augur well for us," he said.

UP Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati had yesterday announced that her party would support BJP in Gujarat, which will go to polls on Dec 12, as she was "morally indebted" to BJP for supporting her government in the state.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Kalraj Mishra told PTI that the final decision on any alliance was to be taken by the party's national leadership. The fear of BJP workers against such an alliance was receding with every passing day, he said.

Political observers feel the decision was a first step towards forging a strong BJP-BSP alliance at national level.

"This decision is a clear indication that both the parties are now willing to take their alliance outside U P thus getting ready to contest next parliamentary election as partners," Dr S P Pandey, a social scientist with P T Govind Ballabh Institute of Social Studies said.