Congress not to seek out new allies

MANDATE 2004

The Congress, wihich is an upbeat mood due to the spectacular victory in Andhra Pradesh, today authorised Sonia Gandhi to hold consultations with its allies and non-NDA secular parties on the formation of a non-NDA Congress-led government at the Centre.

"Gandhi has been authorised to hold talks with the leaders of Congress' allies and other non-NDA secular parties with regard to formation of a non-NDA secular government led by the Congress," party General Secretary Ambika Soni told reporters after a brief meeting of the party's strategy committee this evening.

The meeting, chaired by party president Sonia Gandhi, was attended among others by Oscar Fernandes, Ambika Sonia, Salman Khurshid, Jairam Ramesh and Suresh Pachauri.

All indications and reports from state units at the end of the fourth and last phase of the Lok Sabha Polls suggest that "the BJP-led NDA has been rejected by the people in the polls and a non-NDA strong secular government led by Congress will be formed at the centre," party general secretary Ambika Sonia told reporters here.

She, however, decined to answer the question whether Gandhi would head the government, saying, "I will reply to all your questions after May 13 when the resutls are announced and a clear picutre emerges."

As the president of the congress party, Sonia Gandhi would have talks with the leaders of pre-poll allies as well as non-NDA parties outside the alliance for the formation of a secular government, she said adding the process had already begun with Gandhi holding talks with CPI-M leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet.

She declined to divulge what transpired at their talks.

To a question, Soni replied Gandhi had authorised certain congress leaders to hold discussions with the leaders of the party's allies but declined to identify them.

"The elections have been fought under the leadership of sonia gandhi. She has been the star campaigner. She has also campaigned jointly with the leaders of the party's allies," she said.

As the president of Congress, Gandhi has taken the initiative for talks with the leaders of the allies and non-NDA parties. "It all depends on her what should be discussed with them," she said in reply to a question.

"We believe that the people have snatched away the moral right of the BJP-led alliance to govern the nation," she said, adding the people did not accept NDA's propaganda to convert the elections into a contest between individuals rather than encouraging a contest of policies and issues.