JAIPUR, April 19: Sis Ram Ola, who was a Union minister in the United Front (UF) government, on Saturday said he was willing to return to the Congress if Sonia Gandhi asked him to.Ola had left the Congress in 1996 to join the Congress (Tiwari) when he was denied a ticket, and was made a minister by the UF. Later, he had chosen to remain in government when the rest of the Congress (T) had returned to the Congress. He had even formed a party of his own, Congress (Secular), and was re-elected from Jhunjhunu in the Lok Sabha elections.Speaking to journalists here today, Ola said he had a formal meeting with Sonia last week and felt that the Congress had become strong with her assuming charge of the party. Affirming his faith in Sonia's leadership, Ola claimed he was basically a Congressman and that he had been forced to contest as an Independent only because he could not get a party ticket.Ola also stressed that there was no question of his ever joining the BJP. Referring to the speculation at the timeof the BJP Government's formation that he would join the ministry, he claimed that though the party had offered him a berth, he had turned down their proposal. ``The BJP cannot rule. They only know how to criticise,'' he said. ``The political journey of the BJP started with Ram and ended with Sukh Ram,'' Ola quippedr.The former Union minister also criticised the BJP Government for forcing some State Governors to resign and alleged that the party was appointing RSS men in their place. The intention, according to him, was destabilising non-BJP governments in States.
