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No one can impose conditions on us, says Sangma

Former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma today made it clear that the Congress was not interested in toppling the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre, but it would not shirk responsibility if the government fell on its own.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Sangma, chairman of the Congress task force, said, "We want the BJP government to continue because this is the time to rebuild the Congress from scratch. We need some more time."

Sangma, however, maintained that the Congress would not Hesitate to shoulder its constitutional responsibility following the fall of the BJP government because the country could not afford to go in for another election in such a short span.

The Congress leader, also in-charge of the north-east's organisational matters, welcomed the CPI-M's latest announcement regarding support to a possible Congress-led government. But Sangma pointed out that it would share responsibility only with viable coalition partners. Jyoti Basu had earlier announced issue-based support to a Congress government if the party comes forward to stake the claim.

Sangma said, "We want the BJP to continue, but they are unable to do so with so many contradictions among the coalition partners. On one hand, we want to rejuvenate the party to seek the mandate of the people, on the other hand the government is not functioning. Above all, the country cannot afford to have another election. In that case the only option is to form an alternative government with viable partners."

He, however, maintained that most of the smaller parties had favoured extending support to the Congress and something important might take place during the current session of Parliament.

Regarding the possibility of coalition partners imposing strict conditions on the Congress, he said there was no scope for conditions. The Congress was not willing to topple the government, he said, adding it was the other way round. The smaller partners wanted that the Congress should lead the next government and so they could not afford to slap any conditions.

Asked whether the All India Anna DMK's support to a possible Congress-led government would come with the condition of the dismissal of the DMK government, Sangma categorically said such a condition from Jayalalitha would certainly not be accepted by the Congress.

UNI

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