Pranab quits as PCC chief owning moral responsbility

New Delhi, May 12 (UNI) Describing the assembly election results in the five States as a ''win-win situation'' for the party and the UPA, the Congress today said the poll outcome was a reaffirmation of the policies of the coalition and its various supporters.

Party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters here that the Congress had hoped for much better results there but did not take the outcome as a loss for the party as it was never in a position to form a government there.

Confirming that Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee had submitted his resignation as the PCC president of West Bengal following the announcement of the election results there, Mr Singhvi said Mr Mukjherjee had done so owning moral responsibility for the poor performance of the party in the State. He, however, was not sure whether his resignation had been accepted or not.

Mr Singhvi denied the suggestion that Mr Mukherjee was the lone person responsible for the poor performance of the party in the elections.

He expressed the hope that the Congress would form a coalition government in Asom and said a Common Minimum Programme would be drawn up depending on the nature and composition of the government.

Mr Singhvi described party's performance in Pondicherry as excellent and expressed satisfaction that the party, in alliance with the DMK, had marched to victory in Tamil Nadu. For the dismal performance of the party in Kerala, he said no individual could be held responsible.

Commenting on NDA's performance in the elections in five states, he said it had been reduced to a position of ''extinct species''. About its performance in Rae Bareli, he said BJP candidate Vinay Katiyar forfeited his security deposit in sharp contrast to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who registered a spectacular victory by winning with a huge margin of more than four lakh votes.

UNI YS RL HT1914