Jalna (Maharashtra): Justifying her party's alliance with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress president Sonia Gandhi today (Apr 19, 2004) said it was meant to achieve the "larger good" of Maharashtra to "keep BJP and Shiv Sena at bay."

Addressing an election meeting to campaign for Congress-NCP candidate Uttamsingh Pawar in Jalna, she said, "Bade lakshya ke liye choti baaton ko bhul jana padta hai" (to achieve a larger goal, one has to sometime forget minor issues).

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Terming the saffron alliance as "dangerous" for the society and the country, Gandhi said, "They stoke communal poison, following which Congress and NCP decided to go for an alliance."

She said only Congress has the policy and programmes to take all sections of the people into its fold and help in developing the country.

Launching an attack on the policies of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government, Gandhi said the Government at the Centre was "selling profit-making public sector undertakings at throw away prices only to serve its own interest in utter disregard to the welfare of the workers."

Criticising the "feel good" campaign of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Gandhi said, "It is surprising that the BJP Government is painting a rosy picture of the country when people are suffering."

She said, "The condition of the farmers is bad, unemployment is on the rise, dalits and the adivasis are suffering and the women are being victimised and yet the BJP is talking of feel good."

Coming down heavily on BJP, the Congress president said, "In the earlier elections, BJP had promised to provide a clean Government where people will be free from hunger, fear and corruption. But in reality what the Government has given now is the opposite," and added that the Government has been "tainted by corruption and scams".

Accusing BJP of "double standards", Gandhi said the party had only changed its outward appearance in the NDA, but there was no change in their hearts.

"Congress on the other hand has never strayed from its policies and programmes like uplift of the people irrespective of their caste, creed and religion," she claimed.

Cautioning people to exercise their franchise with caution, Gandhi said, "Now that the elections are near, all political parties will try to lure you with promises. But you have to see the history of the party so that they do not take you for a ride."

Appealing people to vote for Congress-NCP alliance, she said if the party comes to power it would ensure all-round progress of the nation and the welfare of the people.

She caused a considerable commotion when she came down from the podium and started mingling with people, waving hands, breaking the security cordon.