``The coalition partners are pulling in different directions even on sensitive and critical issues like foreign policy and economic development, plunging the country from one crisis into another,'' he said.

Mukherjee was delivering the inaugural address at a three-day state level political training programme for Congress workers organised by the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC).

Claiming that coalition experiments have failed to address the country's problems, he hinted that in the present political scenario, the Congress would prefer going in for a fresh mandate rather than forge ties with ``like-minded'' parties.

``Though there have been pressures from different quarters to form an alternate government in the event of the fall of the BJP government, what is the purpose offorming such a government without a national agenda? Is it to provide a good governance or for power-sharing?'' he asked.

Former chief minister and CWC member Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy, who was the chief guest, said differences among party members led to the ``unfortunate'' rise of regional parties. He called upon leaders and the party cadre to sink differences and rededicate themselves to bringing the Congress back to power.``The last Lok Sabha election has proved that it would be difficult to defeat the Congress if we remain united. The same spirit of unity should continue,'' he said.

Criticising Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's visit to the United States, Reddy accused Naidu of mortgaging the self-respect of the Telugu people to industrialists. ``Never in the history of the country had a chief minister sought the interview of industrialists like Naidu is doing now,'' he said.