NEW DELHI/ LUDHIANA: With the last phase of Lok Sabha elections scheduled for May 13, campaigning in 139 constituencies in nine states and union territories came to a close yesterday evening. Key leaders of rival parties — Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) focused on Punjab, with nine of its parliamentary seats facing polls tomorrow.
A day after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) addressed a major rally in Ludhiana to display their coalition’s “unity” and “strength,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday criticized the NDA and its “politics.” He was confident that the Congress would form next government at the center.
Manmohan asserted yesterday that all “possibilities” were open for alliances after the May 16 results. Predicting a split in the NDA after the results, the prime minister said the Congress would “at worst” emerge as the single largest party in a splintered Lok Sabha.
“At worst the Congress will emerge as the single largest party,” the prime minister told reporters here. He also ruled out backing the left if it wanted to take power. “I don’t think the question is going to arise. I don’t think the left is going to get more seats than the Congress party,” he added. “All possibilities will be known after May 16. I would not like to speculate on this. Everything will depend on the numbers,” he added.
Expressing confidence about the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government retaining power, the prime minister said: “The UPA government will be formed. I have no doubt about it.” Referring to possible post-poll alliances, he said: “Politics is the art of the possible. Those who got annoyed can be mollified.”
Asked if he would appeal to the left parties to support a Congress government at the center, he said: “I always believed that all secular forces should come together and give a secular government to the country.”
Taking a dig at the unity show presented by the NDA partners here Sunday, he said a split in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA “is very much there” and would begin to show after the elections.
“It is wrong to say that the NDA has not split. The BJD (Biju Janata Dal) and TDP (Telugu Desam Party) are no longer there,” the prime minister told the media after winding up his campaign for the fifth and final phase of polling to be held tomorrow.
— With input from agencies
