Tags:
Journalism of Courage
CHANDIGARH, March 31: Predicting an early fall of the BJP-led coalition government at the centre, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad today said the Congress would not prefer fresh polls in such a case.
Speaking to media persons here today, the AICC general secretary, who was here to address the Youth Congress workers on the concluding day of the three-day regional Youth Orientation camp at Indira Holiday Home here today, claimed the BJP was losing confidence of its allies and its government may fall anytime.
He said AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha had already expressed her reservations on the sacking of naval chief Vishnu Bhagwat and hoped that other allies of the BJP would slowly come forward against certain decisions of the Vajpayee government.
He said that though “almost all the allies" of the BJP-led government supported AIADMK’s demand for removal of George Fernandes as Defence Minister following allegations of corruption levelled by Bhagwat, they were not coming out in the open. He, however, could not elaborate or identify the allies.
He reiterated the Congress demand for seeking a JPC probe into the Bhagwat affair. “The Congress would not settle for anything less than a JPC probe on the Bhagwat issue,” he said, adding that the Congress would initiate the discussion on the issue in Parliament on April 12 and its future course of action would be decided then.
Asked whether the Congress would press for a change of chief ministership in Bihar, Azad said that they could not force anything as Rabri Devi enjoyed majority support.
He denied there was factionalism in party units in Haryana and Punjab. The party is yet to decide on having alliance with other parties during the assembly elections later this year, he added.
Earlier addressing Youth Congress workers, Azad said the morale of the Congress was up while that of BJP had gone down in the past few months.
