NEW DELHI, APRIL 19: Congress President Sonia Gandhi today said the party is forming an alternative government, but declined to give details saying consultations are on within the party and with leaders of secular parties.Indications are that the opposition parties are veering round to allow Congress form a government supported by them from outside. But no final decision had been reached till this evening. Senior party leader Arjun Singh, who said there are no problems or difficulties in forming the next government indicated that the exercise will be completed in the next two days.Gandhi was talking to newspersons after the general body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) which authorised her to form the alternative government. The CPP, in a resolution authorised her to take all appropriate measures to deal with the situation with the objective of avoiding premature dissolution of the 12th Lok Sabha.Arjun Singh said the BJP which has lost the trust vote is now engaged in a disinformation campaign that mid term polls are imminent. There is no need for a mid term poll and a stable government will be in place he asserted.Party's chief whip in the Lok Sabha P J Kurien said the effective strength of the opposition in the lower House was 273, three more than what it secured in the trust vote. AIADMK parliamentary party leader S Muthiah's vote could not be registered due to technical problems. The RJD member Malati Devi is abroad for treatment of cancer. A CPI member from Manipur could not make it on that day.Meanwhile, AIADMK supremo J Jayalalitha today said efforts have begun in the "right earnest" to put in place an alternative government in the next two days and the BJP would not be allowed to stake claim again."BJP will not be allowed to continue as a caretaker government nor shall we allow a situation wherein BJP is again invited (to form a government) by the president," Jayalalitha told reporters after meeting Gandhi.She said talks have begun in the right earnest about the formation of an alternative government "and we are all determined to ensure that the alternative government is in place within next two days"."A firm decision on the shape and contours of the new government will be finalised by tomorrow evening," she added.The AIADMK leader said she had one round of discussions with Sonia Gandhi on the formation of an alternative government but refused to divulge details of the talks."I'm not going to reel out details of our discussion. It will not be wise on my part to reveal details (of her talks with Gandhi)," she said.Jayalalitha said she would be meeting SP leader Mulayam Singh and CPI-M leader Jyoti Basu today.Meanwhile, former Union Minister C M Ibrahim, a close associate of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, held discussions with Jayalalitha at her hotel.Asked about the significance of Ibrahim's meeting with her, Jayalalitha said "it is for you to infer".To whether Ibrahim called on her as Gowda's emissary, she said "I will not tell you anything now".
