New Delhi, Dec. 16: The BJP president has sought to end the debate on early Lok Sabha polls by reminding his MPs that they only have “250 days” to achieve the goal of winning the 300-seat target he has set for the party.

M. Venkaiah Naidu told the BJP parliamentary party meeting today that the BJP was determined to kickstart its campaign just after the winter session of Parliament with a “Vijay, Vikas, Sankalp (Victory, development and pledge)” yatra.

The yatra will start on December 25, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday, and last a fortnight.

Naidu was quoted by party spokesperson V.K. Malhotra as saying that the victory in the just-concluded Assembly elections was because of the campaign on development and governance.

Now that Mission 2003 was accomplished, “we should fulfil our pledge to win 300 seats in Operation 2004”, Naidu said.

BJP members were earlier told to return to their Lok Sabha constituencies immediately after the Parliament session ended and work in tandem with the party organisation before embarking on the next phase of its campaign, the “Vijay, Vikas, Sankalp” yatra.

Naidu’s “250-day” signal more or less tallies with the original timetable for the general elections, scheduled to be held around September next year.

However, MPs believed that the question of whether to advance polls or not is still alive. They expected the leaders and strategists to discuss the issue during the Hyderabad national executive on January 11 and 12 after hearing their views.

While those from potentially winning states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra were keen on polls before the rains, those from shakier ones, like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, wanted to stick to the schedule.

The Telugu Desam Party, which underwent a change of heart and now sought simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, was reportedly awaiting the Hyderabad executive’s signal.

Desam sources said its president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister . Chandrababu Naidu broached the subject with the Prime Minister in his meeting yesterday but got “no commitment”.

The sources said the reasons why they favoured simultaneous polls were the BJP’s recent success and the “fact that our cadre will not have to work twice in a year. Besides, we can save on money, too”.

The chief minister made it a point to visit Pramod Mahajan last night for dinner to hear out the “success” story in Rajasthan, largely credited to the BJP general secretary’s “micro management” and his corporate-style approach.