New Delhi, June 21 (IANS) Days after the JD-U snapped its ties with BJP, senior BJP leader L. K. Advani Friday cited Jansangh founder Shyama Prasad Mookerjee's vision about gaining allies as he stressed his party's needs to gain friends in its fight against the Congress-led government.

Speaking at a party function here on Mookerjee's death anniversary, Advani said the late leader had invited a Odisha-based regional party to Kanpur for Jansangh's national meet in 1952 as he knew the significance of allying with other parties to fight the Congress.

He said Mookerjee's was a visionary who wanted to strengthen democracy and end one-party rule of Congress. Mookerji had sacrificed his life for strengthening Jammu and Kashmir's bond with the rest of the country and his views were relevant in the present context, he added.

Advani's remarks about gaining allies assume significance as he had made attempts to prevent a break in ties with the Janata Dal-United (JD-U). He is working chairman of BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

Advani had quit his key party posts a day after Gujrat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was appointed chief of campaign committee of the party for 2014 polls. He later reversed his decision on intervention of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat.