The Hindu : National : SDF extends support to Congress

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 17, 2004

National

National

SDF extends support to Congress

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, MAY 16. The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), which fought the elections as part of the National Democratic Alliance, has decided to extend support to a Congress-led government at the Centre. The SDF leader, Pawan Kumar Chamling, who will be sworn in the Chief Minister of Sikkim for the third time in a row on May 21, has conveyed his party's support in a letter to the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi.

The SDF won the lone Lok Sabha seat from the State and also swept the Assembly polls, winning 31 of the 32 seats. Interestingly, its main rival in the elections was the Congress.

Explaining his decision to support a Congress-led coalition at the Centre, Mr. Chamling told a meeting of newly-elected legislators of his party on Saturday that the move had been taken "with the interests of the State in mind. The SDF has no other alternative but to support the party in power at the Centre for the development of the State. We shall go by whatever is good for the State."

Also, the SDF's alliance with the NDA over the past few years was "not on the basis of ideological affinities but for the best interests of the State."

The SDF's move to support a Congress-led coalition has been welcomed by Laloo Prasad Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party.

Mr. Chamling and his new Cabinet will be sworn in on Friday, a senior party leader said.

The Ministry will comprise 12 members and "will be a mix of old and new faces."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National