Vajpayee and Swaraj during the NDA meeting in Parliament on Thursday. (PTI)

New Delhi, Feb. 5: On the last day of the 13th Lok Sabha, Atal Bihari Vajpayee put the National Democratic Alliance in poll gear by telling its MPs they should ensure the prevalent “feel-good” factor is tapped and converted into votes.

Addressing NDA MPs this morning, the Prime Minister was quoted by BJP parliamentary party spokesman V.K. Malhotra as saying: “We are happy with our government’s performance and people are happy. This happiness should be converted into votes.”

NDA convener and defence minister George Fernandes, who also spoke at the meeting – the only such assembly during this Lok Sabha — said the coalition MPs were on such a high that “today, it did not seem as though the Lok Sabha will be dissolved soon” or that “it was the last day”. He added: “Our MPs felt that Parliament was breaking into a vacation and they will return soon.”

Fernandes praised Vajpayee’s “leadership” and his policy initiatives. The Prime Minister responded with a politically significant remark: “Sona aag main jata hai aur phir kundan ke roop me nikalta hai. George kundan ban ke nikle. (Gold has to undergo a heat test to emerge stronger and purer. George was put through just such a crucible and emerged the stronger).”

The context for the compliment was the purported clean chit given by Justice S.. Phukan, the chairman of the commission probing the Tehelka sting.

Justice Phukan said yesterday his interim report had found “no impropriety” on Fernandes’ part in various arms deals struck up to 2000, but made it clear these had no link with the Tehelka tapes, which have been sent abroad for forensic examination and will be dealt with only in his second report.

Others to earn Vajpayee’s praise were finance minister Jaswant Singh and parliamentary affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.

As far as the BJP is concerned, Fernandes may have emerged unscathed, but it is determined not to bow before Delhi High Court’s exoneration of Rajiv Gandhi in the Bofors case. Neither the Prime Minister nor Fernandes reportedly raised the issue during the meeting, but Malhotra provided the official response.

“Congress says they’ve got an issue and they will use it in the elections. Rajiv Gandhi was not an accused in the case, therefore, to say it will be a poll issue is strange. Those who targeted Rajiv Gandhi in Bofors and called him names are either part of the Congress or part of Sonia Gandhi’s secular brigade. V.P. Singh is the friend, philosopher and guide of this brigade. Laloo (Prasad Yadav), Mulayam (Singh Yadav), Jaipal Reddy, (Ram Vilas) Paswan, the DMK, CPM, CPI — you name them and they all made an issue of Bofors,” he said. “This is the reason why none of them spoke yesterday, why Jaipal Reddy abstained from the official briefing,” the spokesperson added.

Malhotra said Sonia may have picked on the BJP in her remarks yesterday, but the BJP was not part of the government which “came into being on the Bofors plank in 1989”.

He warned if the Congress made it into an election issue, the BJP would answer “appropriately” by asking how Reddy and the DMK were associated with it.

Malhotra said it was not the end of the matter. “The CBI indicated it may go in appeal to the Supreme Court. Moreover, Quattrocchi has links with the (Gandhi) family. Congress owes an explanation for this. It will be an embarrassment for them in the elections.”

The “feel-good” sentiment had its first tangible spin-off at the meeting itself - the BJP’s newest ally, the ADMK, turned up even though it is still not officially part of the NDA. Even members of the Indian National Lok Dal showed up despite strains in their alliance with the Haryana BJP.