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Sonia as shadow PM is fine, not PM, says Advani

Congress president Sonia Gandhi could become 'shadow prime minister', but not the prime minister, according to Union home minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani.

During a press conference at Babatpur airport today, he clarified that the National Democratic Alliance was of the view that only the country's top executive posts should not be held by persons of foreign origin. ''We have no objection over Mrs Gandhi becoming Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha if the Congress emerges as a major opposition party. As the leader of the parliamentary party is elected by the party, nobody can object to Sonia Gandhi becoming CPP leader and even leader of the opposition,'' he said.

When a reporter pointed out that the leader of the opposition was equal in importance to the prime minister and in parliamentary practice was considered "shadow prime minister", Advani said the various issues related to this matter would be discussed when a bill banning people of foreign origin is introduced in Parliament.

The BJP leader said: ''We will not follow the Constitution and laws of Italy where a person of foreign origin cannot hold any elected post, including that of a municipal corporator. We want that top posts should only be held by those born in India''.

He ridiculed the statement made by Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet and AIADMK leader Jayalalitha that the third force would form the next government at the Centre. He said the claim was absurd as the third force was nowhere in the race. ''It only shows that even the sympathisers of the Congress party feel it is losing ground and cannot form a government at the Centre. Now they are working overnight to halt the NDA's victory march,'' he added.

Advani said Indian politics had entered the era of bi-polar politics instead of bi-party politics. The BJP and Congress were the two main poles around which the regional parties would align themselves. ''In the 1999 general elections the process of bi-polar politics will become crystallised.''

UNI

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