NCP leader calls for anti-Modi 'secular front' in Gujarat

Ahmedabad, Jan 21 (UNI) Nationalist Congress Party leader and Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel today stressed on the need to form a 'secular front' in Gujarat to oust the Narendra Modi government.

''We are open to tie-ups with parties including the Congress,'' he said while addressing party workers here.

He criticised Mr Modi for the huge Vibrant Gujarat Summit held recently. Referring to the Summit, he said even Mr Vajpayee had carried out the India Shinning Campaign, though the voters threw them out of power.

The minister said the party was open to alliance with the Congress, though not at the cost of 'swabhiman'.

He said in the BrihanMumbai Municipal Elections, the NCP wanted to contest 90 seats and even brought it down to 55, though the Congress did not agree to it.

About the development of airports in the state, Mr Patel said work on the Surat Airport is on while it will be taken up in Rajkot, Jamnagar, Bhuj and Vadodara airports soon.

He said the NCP has done road shows in Bhuj, Mandvi and Bhavnagar to mobilise support for the party.

''We would like to contest 182 seats in the coming assembly elelctions in Gujarat,'' he added.

UNI