NDA virtually non-existent: Congress

New Delhi, Mar 12 : With BJP losing BJD as an ally in Orissa, Congress today gloated over the plight of its principal challenger alleging NDA was “virtually non-existent” and there was “no serious challenge” to UPA in Lok Sabha polls.


The AICC also dismissed suggestions that the Third Front could pose challenge to it after CPI(M) rushed to rope in BJD for the proposed alliance of non-Congress and non-BJP parties.

“There is no serious challenge…We have every reason to be confident that the battle has already been won even before the elections have begun and the candidates have filed their nominations,” party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan told reporters here.

Comparing UPA and NDA, she said while the allies have remained and continue to remain with Congress, the BJP-led combine started cracking up as soon as they sat in the opposition with parties like Telugu Desam and others leaving it.

“NDA formation has virtually become non-existent,” Natarajan said, adding “UPA formation stands before the people with a very strong performance record. It is absolutely clear that UPA will be in government again after the 2009 poll results have been declared.”

Asked about the political situation in Orissa following the parting of ways of BJP and the BJD and whether Congress would ally with the Naveen Patnaik-led party, she said it was “hypothetical”.