NDA kichdi can8217;t make stable govt: Sonia

Proddatur, Cuddapah, Aug 24: Harping on the stability plank of the Congress, AICC president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said that the 22-pa...

Proddatur, Cuddapah, Aug 24: Harping on the stability plank of the Congress, AICC president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said that the 8220;22-party kichdi of the National Democratic Alliance8221; cannot provide a stable and effective government at the Centre.

Addressing three public meetings in Andhra Pradesh 8212; Proddatur, Nellore and Chittoor 8212; Sonia likened the displaced Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government to a chariot pulled by 13 horses with each going in a different direction. 8220;When the 13-member coalition could not last for more than 13 months, how could the BJP ensure a stable government with the number of its partners bulging to 22 now?8221; she asked.

The gathering at all the three meetings was impressive and the crowd stayed back though the Congress president arrived late. As Sonia8217;s Hindi speech at the campaign launch in Mahboobnagar on Monday was hardly understood by anyone, PCC president Y S Rajasekhar on Tuesday translated her address into Telugu.

Terming the Kargil crisis as thebiggest failure of the BJP coalition, Sonia said that the party which failed to protect the borders has no right to rule the country. Accusing the BJP of playing communal politics for electoral gains, she urged the people 8220;to see to it that the party does not come to power at the Centre again.8221;

Sonia strongly attacked the Telugu Desam Party government in the State accusing it of total failure in implementing the promises made before the 1994 elections. 8220;You were promised total prohibition and free supply of power for farm operations. But, the Telugu Desam went back on both the promises,8221; she said.

She said that the Congress would implement in letter and spirit the promises it made in the election manifesto including free education to boys and girls from SC, ST and backward class communities. 8220;As the daughter-in-law of Indiramma, this is my promise to you,8221; she said.

Both at Nellore and Proddatur, Sonia was cheered by the crowd on quite a few occasions during her speech. She spoke for about 20minutes each at both the meetings.

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At Proddatur, there was a big applause from the crowd whenever Sonia referred to Rajasekhar Reddy. Proddatur falls in the native Cuddapah district of the PCC president.

8220;Rajasekhar Reddy wanted me to contest from here. But, having seeing your love for him, I feel that I have done the right thing to have left the constituency to him as he would do better service to you,8221; she told the gathering.

In his address, Rajasekhar Reddy called upon the people to sing a requiem to the TDP8217;s four-and-half year misrule in the State. Except making false promises, the Telugu Desam government had not done anything for the people, he said.