Ghulam Nabi Azad says all options of post-poll alliance open

Chennai/Nainital, May 7 (ANI): Ghulam Nabi Azad, a senior leader of the Congress Party, has said the party has kept all options open for a post-poll alliance.

Echoing the views of party general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Azad said that some parties might not even wait for the results to open negotiations.

"The real realignment will take place immediately after the polling. I am not saying after the results, even after the polling. So, till such time, we should keep our fingers crossed. I am very much sure that all secular political parties, like-minded political parties whether they are from south, east, north, west, their first choice should be UPA and not NDA," Azad said in Chennai.

Earlier, Rahul said he was confident of the Leftist parties' support and praised some leading politicians outside the ruling coalition.e praised Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a potential swing state in which Kumar may rob current allies of the Congress of crucial seats. There has been speculation that Kumar could tie-up Congress, which he has denied.

But Narendra Modi, firebrand leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said there were as many aspirants for the top job in the ruling coalition as the number of major parties.

"Everyone in the UPA, dreams of becoming PM. Sharad Pawar is a minister in Manmohan Singh Government but says that I am first in the race for Prime Ministership. Lalu says I am there, Ram Vilas Paswan says I am no less and Mulayam says if gets a chance, I am ready for it," Modi said in a rally in Nainital. (ANI)