The Hindu : National : We will provide a stable government: Congress

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 10, 2004

National

National

We will provide a stable government: Congress

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MAY 9. As Lok Sabha elections enter the last and decisive phase, the Congress today asserted that the party would provide a stable and secular government in the country and dismissed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance's attempt to raise doubts about it.

With the polling for the final phase of the general elections scheduled for Monday, the Congress said the BJP leaders' attempt even at this stage stressing on the issue of stability was in itself a "confession of defeatism'' in its camp.

The party chief spokesperson, S. Jaipal Reddy, said the Congress was confident about unity of the secular forces which had "already been partners of the Congress'' in various parts of the country.

By emphasising that the party would provide a "stable and secular government,'' the Congress also sought to counter the campaign of the BJP on the stability factor that was brought in after the results of various exit/opinion polls predicted the possibility of the NDA falling short of a clear majority.

The Congress also tried to throw back the issue into the BJP camp by stating that with the Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister, J. Jayalalithaa, as a partner the BJP's concern about stability was "understandable.''

Mr. Reddy said it was the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam that was responsible for destablising the Vajpayee Government in 1999.

Mr. Reddy said that according to party sources in various States, the report was "highly favourable'' with regard to not only the first three phases of polling, but also the last phase due tomorrow.

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