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Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday afternoon said her party is ready for mid-term parliamentary elections and dismissed Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's challenge as the ranting of a 'person who has lost his mental balance'.
Addressing the BJP's national executive meeting in Goa on Friday, Vajpayee had said that the Congress had once toppled his government but had failed to provide an alternative (resulting in elections).
Speaking at a press conference at the end of the two-day conclave of 14 Congress chief ministers in Guwahati, Sonia Gandhi was unusually belligerent while replying to a question on the issue.
"Whenever he loses his mansik santulan (mental balance), he speaks like this," Sonia said.
Resplendent in a traditional mekhola chador (saree), Sonia was brusque and businesslike in only her second press conference.
Answering questions with confidence and rarely fumbling for words, she clearly ruled out efforts to topple the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.
"The contradictions within the NDA will bring this government down," she said referring to the TDP having joined the chorus seeking Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's ouster.
Asked about the BJP's stand on Modi and Gujarat, Sonia said: "We always knew that the BJP is a communal party. But now it stands thoroughly exposed."
She pointed out that the Congress needs to do well in four major states - Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu - if it wanted to be in a position to form a government at the Centre.
The Congress president did not rule out talking to 'secular' parties within the NDA, like the Trinamool Congress, to consolidate the anti-BJP front.
However, she refused to answer questions on her party's stand on a coalition government.
Earlier, all the four Congress chief ministers resolved to implement several beneficial practices followed in certain Congress-ruled states.
The two-day conclave also decided to set up a Congress chief ministers' council under the chairmanship of the party president. A statement said it would now meet every quarter.
EARLIER REPORTS Sonia's message of good governance for Cong CMs Deal strictly with communal elements, Sonia tells her CMs
More reports on the Congress CMs' conclave
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