Though developments within the Congress were its internal matter, "They are not devoid of national ramifications and could well become the turning point of the mid-term polls in September," Advani said, kicking off his election campaign in his Lok Sabha constituency, Gandhinagar.

By expelling Sharad Pawar, PA Sangma and Tariq Anwar, the Congress "has pushed the party into a trough from where it cannot hope of ever escaping".

By asking Sonia Gandhi to give up her aspiration of holding the Prime Minister's chair, the expelled Congress leaders "had not committed any crime or indulged in anti-party activity to warrant their expulsion", he said.

The minister said the Congress leaders' expulsion had "sown the seeds of unforseeable crisis for the party".

Congress hadnot seen such a "direct questioning of its leadership even in 1969 or the 1977 split," he added.

Calling for an amendment to the Constitution to check foreigners from occupying top public posts in India, Advani said, "We will think of setting up a commission on constitution to look into this and other aspect". He also said frequent elections were imposing a heavy burden on the exchequer.

Advani said Lok Sabha should have a fixed term and added that this could be ensured even without an amendment to the constitution by "simply changing the rules of procedure of the house".

He said the 1999 elections would be vastly different from the earlier ones because there would be no anti-incumbency wave against the BJP-led coalition.

He said he did not see a hung Parliament and claimed that the National Democratic Alliance formed by the BJP would secure over 300 seats in the Lok Sabha.

Advani also disclaimed any rumours of differences between him and Vajpayee and said "they are works of pure imagination".

Themanifesto of the National Democratic Alliance, which was an update on the agenda of governance, would be out shortly, he said.

Advani said the Pokhran blast, improvement of ties with Pakistan, an economy-friendly budget and the containing of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir were among the highpoints of the BJP-led coalition Government.

He claimed that the Sardar Sarovar Narmada project controversy would be amicably settled and suggested the Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat government should initiate a dialogue between them on the issue.