Cong will go it alone in future polls: Pranab

CHANDIGARH, FEB 28:With the experiment of a coalition government having failed in the country, the Congress favours going it alone in the...

CHANDIGARH, FEB 28:With the experiment of a coalition government having failed in the country, the Congress favours going it alone in the elections, whenever these are held, All India Congress Committee general secretary Pranab Mukherjee said here today.

quot;In a pluralistic society, there is no question of a coalition government working out,quot; he told mediapersons, adding that a situation might arise where a coalition could become inevitable.

He said since the present BJP-led coalition government would not last long as its allies were blackmailing it every now and then, the Congress had kept its options open on going ahead with an alternative government or calling for pressing ahead for fresh elections.

Even as the Congress welcomed Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee8217;s Lahore visit, he said it has, however, not led to any fruitful result so far, as the Kashmir situation was as grave and there was no significant change in the relations between the two nations. He charged Vajpayee with having gone to Lahore quot;under pressurequot; from the United States.

Describing the Union Budget as quot;window dressingquot;, the former Union minister said it will have its effect on prices and revenue shortfall is bound to be more. He added that while presenting the budget, issues were not identified correctly and its implementation was also lacking. Besides, he said, quot;The budget has all the ingredients of inflationary pressuresquot;, he added.

Also in charge of Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh affairs, Mukherjee claimed that the chances of Congress returning to power in these states were bright as party workers were enthusiastic after the taking over of the leadership by Sonia Gandhi. He clarified that he could not attend the Haryana Congress quot;kranti rallyquot; at Jind owing to his pre-occupations at Bhubaneswar.

He, however, evaded the question of the resective claims of Punjab and Haryana Congress units over the transfer of Chandigarh to either of the states. quot;We have not been able to find an answer to this question for the past 10-15 years,quot; he said.

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Earlier, addressing a largely-attended public rally at the Sector 22 Nehru Park, organised by the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee, Mukherjee alleged that the BJP government was taking the country towards miseries and the development and progress had totally stopped.

He said no decision had been taken till now on the Ninth Plan which was to be implemented two years ago.

AICC treasurer Ahmad Patel, CTCC president Venod Sharma and former CTCC president Pawan Kumar Bansal, were among others who spoke at the rally.

Earlier, Ahmed Patel, in charge of Jamp;K affairs, while lamenting infiltration in the troubled state and foreign mercenaries being active, called for confidence-building measures and checking infiltration.