I joined Cong to boost secular forces

Pledging to support the Congress and work unconditionally for the party8217;s victory in Chandigarh, Dhawan declared: quot;I am neither a claimant for the party ticket from Chandigarh, nor am I an aspirant for any party post.quot; He, however, claimed responsibility for the defeat of the Congress in the city in the last two polls.

Describing proliferation of political parties as quot;against the interest of the nationquot;, Dhawan said efforts should be made to polarise political forces. This, he said, was what had motivated him to enter the Congress. He predicted that in the forthcoming polls the Congress would defeat communal forces in the country and emerge as the single largest party. He denied any knowledge of groupism within the local unit of the party.

Asked about his speaking against the Congress when he was in the Samajwadi Janata Party, Dhawan clarified that he was then an opponent of the Congress. quot;Now I am convinced that we are not strong enough to combat communalism and thus have joined the Congress.quot;

He clarified that he had never spoken anything against any individual. quot;The party was dithering, but that is no longer the case after Sonia Gandhi took over the reins of the Congress. Since then I have not spoken against the party.quot;