New Delhi: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on May 30 criticised Congress for its failure to provide an alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and asserted that it would intensify its efforts to bring together all secular forces.

"Congress, which is the main opposition party, has proved to be a failure to provide an alternative, both in Parliament and outside.... The NCP will endeavour to work towards dislodging the BJP-led NDA government and intensify its efforts to bring about better coordination amongst like-minded secular parties", a political resolution moved at the party's national convention said.

The daylong convention is being presided over by party chief Sharad Pawar, who was unanimously re- elected as party president for the second time. Senior party leaders P A Sangma, Tariq Anwar, V C Shukla, Jagannath Mishra and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal are among those attending the meeting.

The NCP convention coincided with a two-day conclave of Chief Ministers of the 15-congress ruled states, which is likely to discuss the crucial issue of tie-up with political parties in the next Assembly elections as also in Lok Sabha polls.

Moving the resolution, Sangma said there was no difference between BJP and Congress as the former was pursuing hard Hindutva and the later soft Hindutva.

"Both are not acceptable to us", he said.

He said Congress party also failed to act when opportunities knocked at their door to dislodge the BJP- BSP government in UP at a time when it was racking under defections in the BJP.

PTI