Date:14/07/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/07/14/stories/2003071400521003.htm

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Congress and coalition

Sir, — Your Editorial "Congress and coalition" ( July 11 ): There is no political party in the country that stands steadfast by its ideology. Coalition Governments have come to stay, with national and regional parties choosing to forget their differences over ideologies and identities.

The BJP has proved its mettle by forming a coalition with 20 or so parties. But, for the Congress to venture into coalition experiment will be an unattempted experience. Except for a brief period under P.V. Narasimha Rao, the party always had its own Government continuously for more than 40 years.

If the Congress wants to form a coalition Government, will the Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav or the NCP's Sharad Pawar, P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar be part of it? Projecting Sonia Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate will expose the paucity of leadership in the Congress. Also, the party cannot defend the Emergency. It has to consider these issues before it thinks of forming an alliance.

V.E. Venkataramani,
Chennai