BJP subverting poll mandate: Sonia

Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi sits under a portrait of her late husband Rajiv Gandhi as she attends the inauguration ceremony for the All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in New Delhi yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Inaugurating the day-long special session of the party here, she said the electoral verdict was a clear, categorical, decisive rejection of the BJP and of the NDA.

But their arrogance, their lust for power and their pursuit of personal profit blinded them to reality. They believed they had attained political immortality. Obviously, the BJP did not expect to lose. It lost.

"The BJP is still behaving in a manner that subverts this mandate. It has not accepted its rejection by the people," Sonia said.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance suffered a stunning defeat in parliamentary polls held in April-May this year, a result that saw Congress returning to power after eight years at the head of a coalition consisting of 15 parties.

By refusing to accept the people mandate, the BJP has shown itself to be what it is: anti-democratic and ill-liberal, the Congress chief said setting the political direction of the party which braces to take on the saffron party in crucial assembly elections in western state of Maharashtra in October this year.

The state is ruled by Congress and its allies and faces strong challenge from BJP and its partner Shiv Sena.

The elections in Maharashtra will be the first major electoral test for Congress since it won the parliamentary polls.

Meanwhile, the Congress at its special session yesterday adopted a resolution which termed as alleged in the history of the world the dignity with which Sonia Gandhi renounced the post of Prime Minister after the parliamentary elections.

"She chose the party over power, service over a position, work over the fruits of success and struggle instead of comfort," the resolution said.

Expressing profound gratitude to Sonia, the 58-year-old Italy-born of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, it said she had "struggled tirelessly for the part for the last six years and her efforts will serve as a beacon of light on the path of faith and dedication for the coming generations."

Recalling her contribution in bringing the party to power, the resolution said Sonia Gandhi traveled to every corner of the land, interacted directly with the people, took stock of their problems and overcame all obstructions put up by the opposition."Our success was possible because of the dedicated efforts of party workers and Sonia Gandhi," said the resolution.

This is the first Congress session after the party assumed power at the head of UPA coalition. Other top Congress leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, besides newly-elected MP Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Vadra attended the session.

Yesterday's meeting was a clear demonstration of the hold of the Nehru-Gandhi family on the Congress. All the hoardings put up on thoroughfares leading to the meeting venue at Talkatora Indoor Stadium display the photographs of India first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka.