NDA is facing identity crisis : Congress

New Delhi, Sep 27 (UNI) Amid reports that NDA convener and Janta Dal (United) leader George Fernandes might join the Samajwadi party, the Congress today alleged that the Opposition front haS been facing identity crisis.

Party Spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi told mediapersons that it was strange that the convener of the NDA himself did not know which party he belonged to. "It must be distressing for the Opposition that its convener was joining such a party as the Samajwadi Party which had been opposing the NDA all the time." he said.

Mr Chaturvedi said the BJP-led NDA could not function as a responsible opposition. Nor could it retain its own identity. "The NDA is now directionless," he added In this context, he said there were 24 political parties forming part the NDA when it came to power. However, 12 of the parties had deserted them before the 2004 Lok Sabha election. He said, adding parties had also left the NDA after the front was defeated in the 2004 election by the Congress-led UPA.

When it was pointed out that the Telangana Rashtra Samiti led by K Chandrasekhara Rao and the MDMK led by V Gopalaswamy had also left the fold of the Congress-led ruling UPA, Mr Chaturvedi said the discussion with the TRS was still continuing for a reconciliation.

Regarding the MDMK, he said that party in Tamil Nadu was part of the UPA when the coalition came to power at the centre. Asked if the MDMK was still a partner of the UPA, he said "there is nothing to say anything contrary to it." Mr Chaturvedi said the UPA would continue to be intact even after the next elections.

When a reporter pointed out there was a possibility of a third front emerging before the next Lok Sabha elections, he said the Left leaders had been saying about it.

"There is no existence of a third front. We have been hearing about this for long," he added.

Asked if there was any possibility of Trinamool Congress joining hands with the Congress in West Bengal, he said Congress president Sonia Gandhi already explained the matter while addressing the press at Nainital. "However, kindly put this question to Ms Banerjee," he added.

Asked about the proposed Indo-Pak joint mechanism to couter terror, Mr Chaturvedi said such issues come within the purview of the government, which would decide about the modalities of how it should be.

However, the Congress Party had been always supporting the initiatives of the Prime Minister, he said.

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