The Hindu : Front Page : Disbelief in Congress over its stunning performance

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Sunday, May 17, 2009
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Front Page

Front Page

Disbelief in Congress over its stunning performance

Special Correspondent

Dr. Singh wants all secular parties to help provide a stable government

— Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

Congress supporters celebrate the party’s victory in the Lok Sabha polls, outside party president Sonia Gandhi’s residence in New Delhi on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: Disbelief was writ large on the faces of Congress leaders on Saturday afternoon as they followed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh into the residence of party president Sonia Gandhi to celebrate the stunning performance of the Grand Old Party.

Expressing gratitude to the people of India for their generosity to the Congress, Dr. Singh said “the people of India have spoken, and spoken with great clarity.” And, with some Congress leaders clamouring for Nehru-Gandhi family heir apparent, Rahul Gandhi, being made Prime Minister, Ms. Gandhi made it clear that there was “no rethink on Dr. Singh for the post.”

As to whether Mr. Gandhi would be included in the Union Cabinet, Ms. Gandhi said that was for the Prime Minister to decide. Dr. Singh said he would try to persuade him (Rahul Gandhi).

To a question on whether he had any message for the Left parties, Dr. Singh invited all secular parties to forget past differences and help provide a secular and stable government.

He also requested the Opposition to help communicate to the world that India was united in this hour of global crisis.

Dr. Singh and Ms. Gandhi made these remarks in a brief interaction with the media in the afternoon; the first time they stepped out into the limelight after the trends showed a clear lead for the Congress. They then went into Ms. Gandhi’s residence where senior leaders soon gathered to bask in the “stunning performance.”

Even the most optimistic back-of-the-envelope calculations within the Congress had not given the party the kind of leads – crossing the 200 mark – that were being projected around 4 p.m. “We had not dreamt of such a result in our wildest dreams,” was how one key strategist of the Congress election campaign put it.

Besides the fact that the results belied all expectations – except in Orissa — Congress leaders were particularly pleased with the nationwide presence that the party had been able to register in this election. Confident of finding the numbers to reach the magic figure of 272, the one disappointment for the Congress was its failure to dent the Bharatiya Janata Party’s hold over Karnataka and Gujarat.

Briefing reporters, Congress media chairperson Janardhan Dwivedi said this was the first coalition government to be returned to power after a full term. Arguing that the performance of the UPA government and the promise it offered had brought dividends to the Congress, he said the result proved that a government which delivered on its commitments could get a renewed mandate.

Mr. Dwivedi also announced that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) would meet on Sunday afternoon to decide on the future course of action. The CWC meeting is likely to be followed up by another between the Congress leadership and leaders of its pre-poll allies.

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