Tumkur/Bangalore: Launching her campaign for Karnataka assembly poll, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today said her party would not go for coalition in the state and used the women's reservation card, a day after the bill for this was tabled in Rajya Sabha.

"Congress would not go in for coalition and would not compromise on its principles for power at any cost", she said apparently referring to her party's bitter experience in forming a coalition government with JD(S) in 2004. The JD(S), led by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, abrupty pulled down the Congress government headed by N Dharam Singh. After dumping Congress, JD(S) teamed up with BJP to form another government for 20 months. Referring to bill introduced for reservation of seats in Parliament and state legislatures, Gandhi said Congress has fulfilled yet another promise.

On the price rise for which Congress has come under attack, she said the UPA government is initiating measures to stabilise prices and stepping up procurement of rice and wheat.

The AICC chief reacted sharply to BJP's charge that Congress was soft on terrorism and said the country witnessed major terrorist attacks, including the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar, during BJP-led NDA rule. "We want to ask BJP leaders as to who freed the terrorists during Kandahar hijack. Whether it was attack on Parliament, Akshardham temple in Gujarat or in Kashmir, all these terror attacks happened under BJP government", she said "Whom are they trying to fool. We do not need a certificate on patriotism from such people", Gandhi said.

Source : PTI