PM slams party rebels

Vajpayee came down heavily on party rebels, saying there should be a "limit" to hunger for power.

Coming down heavily on party rebels fighting as independents, Prime Minster Atal Bihari Vajpayee said on Tuesday there should be a "limit" to hunger for power as shifting loyalty for the sake of power does not serve the country's interest.

"It is not fair to get miffed over not getting tickets and contesting as independents. The hunger for power should be within limits shifting loyalty and changing ideology just for the sake of power is not proper," he told an election rally in Lucknow.

The Prime Minister said that though there were 26 parties in the NDA coalition, none had any complaint. "We want that the number of parties should come down. The parties should be strong, principled and work for the welfare of the people," he said.

He, however, immediately added that there was no harm in having many parties. After all it is a multi-party democracy, he observed.