Date:10/01/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/01/10/stories/2004011010771100.htm

National

Sonia , Ajit Singh discuss poll tie-up

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 9. Continuing her efforts to forge a secular alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, met the Rashtriya Lok Dal leader, Ajit Singh, here today and discussed the possibility of an electoral understanding with his party.

Nothing was apparently firmed up at the meeting, and Mr. Singh indicated that there would be further discussions. The meeting came less than 24 hours before Ms. Gandhi is slated to begin a three-day tour of western Uttar Pradesh, a traditional stronghold of Mr. Singh.

The RLD is an ally of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, where both parties are supporting the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led government.

There has been a thaw in relations between the Congress and the RLD after Mr. Singh resigned from the Vajpayee cabinet and pulled out his Ministers from the Mayawati cabinet in May last.

Later talking to the media after meeting youth representatives — from the Congress and outside — at the party headquarters, Ms. Gandhi said that the tie-up in Tamil Nadu "has started on a very positive note, and we shall take it forward."

Ms. Gandhi spent some time with the group to assess what Generation Next expects from politicians. "I wanted to know from them what they want," she said.

The meeting — seen as part of the manifesto preparation exercise — saw the representatives urge the Congress to have a `Youth Agenda.' At the meeting, attended by children of some senior Congress leaders, a demand was made for greater representation for youngsters. Forced into election mode by the Government's inclination for an early poll, Ms. Gandhi is likely to put into effect her plans for an AICC reshuffle.

However, according to her, only small changes would be made at the moment. Sources in the party said that there would only be a slight "re-adjustment" of assignments.