NDA will marginalise Cong: PM

RAJAHMUNDRY, May 17: Prime Minister Vajpayee today made a fervent appeal to the people to support the National Democratic Alliance NDA ...

RAJAHMUNDRY, May 17: Prime Minister Vajpayee today made a fervent appeal to the people to support the National Democratic Alliance NDA for providing the country a strong and result-oriented non-Congress alternative capable of freeing India of the curse of recurring and costly midterm elections. In a statement released at a press conference here, he said the emergence of the NDA would hasten the marginalisation of the Congress and bring stability and strength to the Indian Policy.

Blaming the Congress for being chiefly responsible for the political developments leading to the dissolution of the 12th Lok Sabha, he said the Congress was now paying the price for its game of destabilisation. Those who plotted to create instability at the Centre were becoming the victims of instability, he remarked.

In contrast to the marginalisation of the Congress, Vajpayee said, the formation of the NDA, consisting of the BJP and its partners had raised the people8217;s hopes for a stable pole around which Indian democracy would develop on healthy lines. He said the NDA not only promised stability, but also a qualitatively better agenda of governance. It marked the coming together of parties which combined both regional aspirations and a national perspective. The alliance believed that a diverse country like India needed a strong Centre as well as strong states.

Vajpayee said the Congress which had a monopoly at the Centre for more than four decades, had consistently neglected regional concerns and issues. Worse, its policies, programmes and political conduct aggravated the situation resulting in several intractable problems, such as Centre-state disputes, inter-state disputes, widening regional imbalances and growing urban-rural divide.

The prime minister said the Congress had neither acknowledged its follies in this regard nor cared to make amends. It had once again shown its contempt for coalition politics by declaring that it would not share power at the Centre with its regional allies.

8220;We have shown our commitment to national security, balanced socio-economic development and secularism. It is based on the solid performance of the BJP-led coalition government that the NDA now appeals to the people to give a clear and decisive mandate,8221; Vajpayee said.