Kesri happy with Gujral's selection

Congress president Sitaram Kesri is ''very happy'' about Inder Kumar Gujral's selection as the new United Front leader.

Talking to newsmen at his home late on Saturday night, Kesri said, ''I have no reservation on the selection of the new leader as I have already committed Congress support to the new UF leader.''

"Gujral himself has been a Congressmen and will give full respect to the feelings of his partymen,'' Kesri said.

Asked whom the Congress would have preferred as the new leader between G K Moopanar and Gujral, he replied that was the internal matter of the United Front, though he might have welcomed Moopanar's selection as the UF leader.

Kesri hoped the new UF leader would be able to provide a clean and efficient government. At the same time he was confident Gujral would give weightage to the feelings and aspiration of Congressmen.

Asked how long the Congress would continue its support to the UF government, Kesri refused to comment, saying it was the installation of a secular government that was important at this stage.

He said the Congress withdrew support to the H D Deve Gowda government to save the honour of the country and the Congress. The recent developments, he added, have vindicated his stand against the ''vindictive attitude of Prime Minister Deve Gowda'' which forced him out of office.

Kesri refused to comment on whether the Congress would join the government or whether the President would insist on the formation of a coalition government headed by the Congress, claiming the scenarios were hypothetical.