Monday, January 23 2006 13:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Hyderabad: Congress President Sonia Gandhi today (Jan 23,2006) said the party has 'adapted well' to the coalition experience even as she asserted there was 'no contradiction'in opposiing at the state-level those very parties which are supporting it at the Centre.

"Being in a coalition is a new experience for us but we have adapted well and have steadfastedly followed the discipline and decorum of a coalition," she said addressing the plenary session of the party here.

"True that in some states we are opposing the very sameparties that are supporting us at the Centre. We see no contradiction in this. National challenges demand that we cooperate but state-level issues and concerns are sometimes very different.

"Let our colleagues from Kerala and West Bengal have no doubts whatsoever. In these states, we are opponents and we shall fight like opponents," Gandhi said to thunderous applause from the participants.

Recalling that 20 months ago the Congress formed a coalition Government at the Center with the support of parties committed to secular values, she heaped lavish praise on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying, "A Congressman of integrityand learning and a man of compassion and humility became our Prime Minister".

"Under his leadership, together with our allies, we formulated a Common Minimum Programme. (CMP) is based pre-dominantly on the Congress' own manifesto. So it should be always understood by all of you that when we fulfil the CMP Pledge, we are fulfilling a commitment of our manifesto itself", she said.

Gandhi said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre has called a halt to distortion of the education syllabus and the economic reform measures adopted by the UPA gave more emphasis on employment, education, agriculture and health.

She said the Government aimed at giving India a 'new stature' in the world community.

Referring to the 2004 Lok Sabha verdict, the Congress President said it showed that the party which was complacent, a party that underestimated its political opponents and exaggerated its strength would be humbled by the people.

"In that verdict lies many lessons for us also," she said adding that those lessons must be forgotten by the Congressmen.