'Congress ready to form post-poll coalition'

"Taking into account the present political scenario, Congress would be prepared to enter into appropriate coalition or alignment with secular parties on the basis of mutual understanding but without compromising with its basic ideologies....," Gandhi said in her valedictory address to the party's brainstorming session here.

Winding up the three-day meet, attended by over 250 senior party leaders, she said on the issue of coalition the party had formulated a view at its Pachmarhi session in 1998 and Bangalore Plenary two years ago.

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Gandhi asked all secular forces to "intensify" efforts to evolve a strategy for fighting fundamentalists and ensure defeat of BJP and its allies in the elections.

On the Ayodhya issue, she said the party was "clear and consistent" that the dispute must be resolved through courts and all parties must abide by the verdict.

She, however, said that her party was not against a negotiated settlement. "We firmly believe that such a settlement once reached must have a complete legal sanction and sanctity".

Gandhi said Congress was firmly committed to the Protection of Places of Worship Act, 1992, enacted by the party government, which freezes the status of all places of worship other than Ayodhya as on August 15th, 1947.

Asking party workers to get back to work in their respective constituencies after attending the brainstorming session here, Gandhi told them to implement the Shimla Declaration.

With a clear direction and firm resolve "we have to go to the masses so that in the coming times our policies, ideologies and programmes are able to garner support from all sections of society," she said.