HYDERABAD: The Congress would not project Sonia Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate nor would she contest the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) member K Vijayabhaskar Reddy said on Tuesday. Sonia would only `assist' the party in the campaign, Reddy told reporters here. The senior Congress leader disagreed with the argument that her foreign background would have an adverse impact on party's prospects. ``She is very much an Indian. And this is not the first time that foreigners have adopted India as their home,'' Reddy said.Sonia factor
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK leader, J Jayalalitha, asserted on Tuesday that the Congress did not stand any chance of forming a government at the Centre even if Sonia Gandhi campaigned for the party. ``I don't think it is going to make any difference to the prospects of the Congress,'' Jaya said en route to Tirunelveli for a 3-day AIADMK state conference beginning January 1.
Pondy
Cong
PONDICHERRY: The Pondicherry Pradesh Congress Committee leader, P Shanmugham, on Tuesday appealed to those who had left the Congress to come back and function as one unit. Shanmugham said that with Sonia Gandhi deciding to campaign for the party in the coming Lok Sabha polls, the country was poised to have a stable governance at the hands of the Congress.
PM's apology
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral's biggest regret on laying down office is his failure to pass the bill for thirty per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislatures. In an interview to a TV channel, he said he would like to apologise to the nation for this failure. Gujral said, ``I am really sorry we have not moved as forward as we should have on women's rights.''
Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
