Congress confident of forming next govt

MANDATE 2004

While being cautious of extrapolating Andhra results to the rest of the country, the Congress did not shy away from being optimistic about forming the government at the Centre.

"The formation of an alternative government is a certainty," said Congress spokesperson Ambika Soni at an informal meeting with reporters.

She said that the Congress had the moral and political right to have a stake at the government, and added that it was a national imperative to form an alternative government.

A critical mass would be needed to be able to form the government, she said. The common minimum programme of the Congress would be the basis on which alliances will be struck, she added.

Sources at the party office said that when the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) preponed the polls which were scheduled to be held in September this year, they did it on the contention that they will be able to cash in on their "feel good factor".

The NDA wanted to complete all its tasks which were initiated during the past five years, she said.

If the NDA is unable to reach the figure of 272, it should give up the moral right to form the government, she said, comparing it to the 1989 elections when the Congress barely had 197 seats , Rajiv Gandhi did not contest to form the government.

According to sources, the NDA had a fractured alliance with no ideological cohesiveness during the past five years, citing examples of the National Conference, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), track record with Jayalalitha and the indecisiveness of the Trinamool Congress.

It is felt that the NDA did not have long term perspectives , and that their policies were often placatory and ad hoc. Though Naidu was supporting the government from outside, he did have a major influence on decisions during the annual budgets, they said.

While DMK has made it clear that it will not go with the NDA, it stands non-commital keeping in view the 1996 post poll alliance with the government.

In fact, Karunanidhi is reported to have said that "there was no scope for a third front." Though the Congress has been cosying up to the communists, CPI (M) has been fighting as the Left Front. It is however not clear what kind of deliberations have taken place with Harkishen Singh Surjeet.

Jaipal Reddy, senior Congress leader is understood to have met Uttar Pradesh chief minister Samajwadi party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav.