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Cong open to alliance with NCP, says Sonia Mumbai, December 28 Addressing a press conference, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said her party was looking for a secular alliance with like-minded parties, including the NCP, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party. Reacting to a question about NCP President Sharad Pawar’s call for an alliance with the Congress, Ms Gandhi said all secular parties must sink their differences to fight communal forces. “My colleagues are in touch with Mr Pawar,” Ms Gandhi said. She, however, insisted that the Congress would elect its own leaders just as other parties do. “We do not interfere with the internal affairs of other parties but the leadership of the Congress will be decided by the party”, Ms Gandhi said. Referring to the Congress’ defeat in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the recent Assembly elections, Ms Gandhi admitted that her party failed to meet the aspirations of the people. “We failed to fulfil the aspirations of the people. Also, the BJP’s aggressive publicity campaign took them ahead. But we have learnt our lessons and will take care in future,” Ms Gandhi said. On its part, the NCP welcomed Ms Gandhi’s statements for broad alliances with secular forces. “It has been our consistent stance that all like-minded parties should join hands to take on the communal forces,” NCP Maharashtra chief and Maharashtra’s Home Minister R.R. Patil told reporters here. Mr Pawar has already asked the Congress to decide on a tie-up with the NCP in Maharashtra by December 31. Though no formal announcement is expected by that date, political observers say the process has been set in motion and Mr Pawar will wait. Mr Pawar is also expected to climb down on his demand that both parties carve up the 288 constituencies in Maharashtra between themselves equally. His demand has not gone down well with Congress workers who note that the NCP is a junior partner in the present government. In the last elections, the Congress won 74 seats against the NCP’s 61. It is also felt that the tie-up between the two parties is a necessity since both the Congress and the NCP are suffering from anti-incumbency factors in the state. Both parties have seen their images take a battering following the fake stamp scandal masterminded by forger Abdul Karim Telgi. A number of senior police officials have so far been arrested and investigators have sent queries to former Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal’s nephew in the matter. The Opposition Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combine is making political capital on the issue and the two Congress parties are expected to face tough times fighting each other as well as the saffron alliance.  |
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Don't project Sonia as PM, says Sharief Bangalore, December 28 "They (AICC leaders) should not insist on this stand (Sonia as PM candidate).. come out with a new strategy, let the MPs decide on who should become the Prime Minister," Mr Sharief, the Congress MP from Bangalore North, said at the foundation day celebrations of the Indian National Congress at the KPCC heaquarters here. "The Congress has called for an alliance with like-minded parties, but no party is coming forward, what is the reason? Because, the Congress is insisting on projecting Ms Sonia Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate, for which other parties have reservations", he said. "If it is in her (Sonia) destiny to become the Prime Minister, she will become the Prime Minister... let the destiny decide," Mr Sharief, who has recently been critical of the Congress government's functioning in Karnataka, said. The Congress needed alliance partners to defeat the BJP in the elections, Mr Sharief said "So, why the party leaders at the helm do not understand the gravity of the issue"? he asked. Mr Sharief, a former Union Minister said, said the Congress should fight the elections along with alliance partners on a common ground without projecting a Prime Ministerial candidate. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Janardhana
Poojary, who was on the dais with Mr Sharief, later speaking to reporters denied having heard Mr Sharief criticising the party stand. "Even if he (Sharief) has said something, it is his personal view," Mr Poojary said.
— PTI |
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SP ready to support Cong, says Mulayam Lucknow, December 28 Without naming the Congress, Mr Yadav said his party was open to extending and taking support from any secular party, provided the BSP was not involved in the equation. Talking to reporters here, Mr Yadav in a way criticised the speculated move of the Congress to forge an alliance with Ms Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party saying that: “The Samajwadi Party would not reach at any understanding with parties which support the BSP’’. On the recent Congress’ decision to form an anti-BJP secular front comprising like-minded parties, he said he had only read about the Congress move in newspapers and had no prior information about it. However, he added that his party, in its national executive, had already decided to extend and accept issue-based support with like-mided parties. “Uttar Pradesh is the best example where such an alliance is functioning. I had been
propagating a similar alliance since 1986...even before the announcement of elections, the Samajwadi Party is ready on seat-sharing based on issues,’’ he said.
— UNI |
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Laloo defends Sonia on foreign origin issue Kanpur, December 28 Addressing a gathering here, Mr Yadav lamented that even Congress workers and leaders had failed to defend Ms Gandhi on various fora over the foreign origin issue. ‘’They should defend her more fiercely as she is the ‘bahu’ of a family which has sacrificed a lot for the interests of the country,’’ he said. Mr Yadav had come to the industrial town to unveil the statue of freedom fighter Jagnarain Singh, who was also associated with the Congress. Congress leader R.K. Dhawan, AICC general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh Naval Kishore Sharma and UPCC president Jagdambika Pal were also present. He claimed that by constantly targeting Ms Gandhi, the BJP was only spreading hatred in the society. ‘’Though the Nehrus have sacrificed a lot, their daughter-in-law is being targeted to meet political ends,’’ Mr Yadav added. Claiming that the Lok Sabha elections would be held in April, Mr Yadav asked everyone to be prepared for the next round of electoral battle against the BJP and
"communal forces." "It is time for the electorate to decide who they would vote for the ones who got Mahatma Gandhi killed or those who fought against the British Raj,’’ he added.
— UNI |
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