The Hindu : Sonia's effort good, says Paswan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 16, 2003

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Sonia's effort good, says Paswan

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi Feb. 15. The Lok Janshakti president, Ram Vilas Paswan, today urged the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, to take the lead in the formation of a secular democratic alliance to counter the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

Mr. Paswan, who has been invited by Ms. Gandhi to attend a dinner she is hosting for various Opposition leaders tomorrow, told The Hindu, that Ms. Gandhi's efforts to organise a meeting was a ``good effort''.

After serving as a Minister in the NDA Government, Mr. Paswan had quit the Vajpayee Cabinet last year over Gujarat. Although his party's hopes of being accommodated by the Congress in the Gujarat Assembly elections remained unfulfilled, Mr. Paswan personally campaigned for the party.

However, after the Gujarat experience, he distanced himself from the Congress and decided to contest the February 26 elections to Himachal Pradesh and Tripura on his own. Yet he kept his channels of communication open with the Congress leadership.

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