Congress ready for mid-term poll : Chavan

Agartala, Feb 11 (UNI) AICC general secretary and Union Minister of State in PMO Prithviraj Chavan today threatened the Left Front that the Congress was ready for mid-term polls at any moment.

Addressing the party workers here, Mr Chavan said the Left had joined hand with the Congress to keep the communal forces at bay, and the option was always open for them to withdraw support to the UPA Government.

''We are fully geared up for the mid-term Lok Sabha poll, and if the Left prefer a course-correction now, we will welcome it, '' Mr Chavan asserted and pointed out that the Left had extended support to the UPA only to keep the BJP-led communal forces out of contention and to consolidate the secular forces to protect the spirit of the Constitution.

Mr Chavan maintained that they were also hardpressed in extending support, but the Congress would not mind in case they went for a course-correction.

''A mid-term poll will not benefit the CPI(M) as we are well aware of their position in West Bengal and Kerala, '' he stated.

He assured that the AICC would spare no pains to ensure a victory in the February 23 Assembly polls.

''The UPA government was established with an understanding based on Common Minimum Programme, which is valid only for running the Government in Delhi, and nothing else. The Left are our political rival as far as national development is concerned, '' Mr Chavan opined.

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