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Fakir Chand in Bangalore
Its adamant stance against the Vajpayee government over the defence expose notwithstanding, the Congress on Sunday said it would allow passage to the vote-on-account in the Lok Sabha on March 23.
Explaining the nationwide action plan to launch a relentless agitation for the removal of the National Democratic Alliance government, party spokesman S Jaipal Reddy told rediff.com in Bangalore that as a responsible opposition party, the Congress would not allow the business of the government to be paralysed.
"We will let the finance minister move the vote-on-account in the Lok Sabha later this week so that the government will not have difficulty in drawing funds from the Consolidated Funds to run the country," he said.
Asked whether the Congress would allow Parliament to pass the Union Budget and the Railway Budget, Reddy said his party's battle is not against the budgets, but with the very existence of the government.
Reddy said though the Congress does not foresee the fall of the Vajpayee government in the immediate future, secular parties in the NDA are bound to pull out sooner or later as the Trinamul did recently.
"No self-respecting party would want to align with the BJP anymore," Reddy said.
Asked whether the Congress prospects in the forthcoming elections in five states had improved in the aftermath of the Tehelka expose, Reddy said the Congress need not worry too much as the NDA has hardly any presence in the states going to polls next month.
"Where is the NDA in West Bengal, Kerala, Pondicherry or Assam? It does not stand a chance," Reddy said.
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