Press Briefing Thursday, 07 May 2009

Dr. Veerappa Moily addressed the media today.

Dr. Veerappa Moily said that the 4th phase of the election polling was coming to end and the polling percentage would be around 58% at the end of the day. Dr. Veerappa Moily said that the Congress party would emerge as the single largest party. Dr. Veerappa Moily said that the Indian National Congress would exceed a tally of 180 seats. He added that of the 25 seats in Rajasthan, this time the Congress party would get 20 seats. There would be a clean sweep by the Indian National Congress in Punjab and Delhi too. He said that this phase belonged to the Congress party and its allies. Even in West Bengal, the TMC was doing well he added. The very fact that the Left parties had resorted to violence reflected the fact that they were desperate. Dr. Veerappa Moily said that this time in Kerala, the Congress party was going to get 18 out of 20 seats. Thus the total tally of Left would not exceed 30-32 which is half of what they got in 2004.

Dr. Veerappa Moily said that in 2004 the NDA had entered the poll on the plank of ‘India Shining’. They were very confident. Their coalition had 23 partners at that time. Today not even four remain in their alliance. As far as UPA alliance is concerned, except Shri Paswan and Shri Laloo Prasad Yadav, the rest of the UPA partners continue to remain with the Congress party he said. Dr. Veerappa Moily said that the priority of the Congress party was to firm up the alliance partners who were with the UPA from 2004. He further said that there were two types of UPA alliance partners: pre-poll alliance partners and post-poll alliance partners. The pre-poll alliance partners were very firmly with Congress party he added. These included the NCP in Maharashtra, DMK and their partners in Tamil Nadu and others. As far as NDA was concerned, he added that in Punjab, the Akali Dal was collapsing in a very big way. In reference to the JD (U), Dr. Dr. Veerappa Moily said that the statement of Shri Rahul Gandhi had been misinterpreted. He said that the Congress party was aware that the JD(U) was with the NDA. Dr. Veerappa Moily said that Shri Rahul Gandhi’s statements could not be construed as an overture. He added that the pre-poll alliance partners were repeatedly saying that they were in the UPA under the leadership of Smt Sonia Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh-the UPA candidate for Prime Ministership.

Dr. Veerappa Moily said that in Tamil Nadu, the BJP was not going to open its account. In Karnataka they would get a reduced number. There was no scope for the BJP to get seats in the South or in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab, Mumbai and as far as Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were concerned, they would get a reduced number. In West Bengal they were not going to gain he added. Thus the Indian National Congress would emerge as the strongest party. Dr. Veerappa Moily said that the people of this country wanted stability, growth, development and security. And on these issues the UPA had made significant achievements.

Dr. Veerappa Moily said that whenever the country had Third Front Governments at different intervals for a short duration, they had failed miserably on all grounds. They could not arrest high inflation, nor could they handle the economy which led to high fiscal deficit and balance of payments crisis. This was the history of the Third Front he quipped. He added that just because Shri Rahul Gandhi had said that if the Third Front gets 180 seats , the Congress party would support them, one should not misinterpret his gesture. Dr. Veerappa Moily further added that Shri Rahul Gandhi stood for development and inclusive growth. This was the kind of message which he has always given. He added that one must not misconstrue Rahulji’s gentlemanly statement and broad mindedness as weakness. He added that the Congress Party was not going to sit in the opposition and was confident of occupying the Treasury Benches with Dr.. Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister.

On a question relating to Shri Mulayam Singh’s demand to dismiss the Mayawati Government if the Congress wanted his support to form the Central government, Dr. Veerappa Moily reiterated that whoever had supported the Congress party from 2004 to 2009, would be the first friends of the Congress party and looking for others would come later. He added that the UPA or the Congress party would not indulge in any extra-constitutional or unconstitutional method to dismiss any Government and would do only those things which are legitimate and within the system.

To a question, Dr. Veerappa Moily said as far as Eelam is concerned, the Indian National Congress and the UPA Government had been stating that they were for a permanent political settlement for the Tamilians in Sri Lanka. What form it should take place was a different matter. He reiterated that the DMK would be an important and valued partner in the next Government and it was for them to take up the issue in an appropriate manner. Dr. Veerappa Moily conceded that the statement made on a previous occasion by another Congress spokesperson relating to Smt. Jayalalitha was not correct.

To another question, Dr. Veerappa Moily said that Congress party and the UPA was against aggressive attack on the Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka and reiterated that the issue should be taken up at an appropriate forum within the parameters of diplomatic relations.

To a question relating to Prakash Karat asserting that the Left would not support any Congress-led Government and would strive for a non-Congress secular government, Dr. Veerappa Moily said that Prakash Karat had to say this because he was fighting elections in West Bengal against the Congress party and the Trinamool Congress..

Dr. Veerappa Moily said that a weak Third Front or a weak BJP led NDA could not face the challenges in view of the global economic recession and these could only be met by the strongest Prime Minister, the greatest economist of the world Dr. Manmohan Singh and his team in the UPA.





(Tom Vadakkan)

Secretary, AICC