New Delhi: After heading two successive coalitions, Congress on Thursday conceded that diverse needs of the country through regional aspirations sometime act as "deterrents" in a coalition Government and asked the voters to understand the reality.
The Congress remarks in its mouthpiece,`Congress Sandesh`, come at a time when it appears faced with a difficult election ahead and there is a thinking in a section of the party that instead of repeating its coalition experiment -- of forming UPA II government in 2009 -- the party should have sat in Opposition and waited for a clear mandate.
"We are a growing economy with limited resources and we need to progress within our means and limitations. Also the diverse needs of the country through regional aspirations sometime act as deterrents in a coalition Government.
"It is imperative that the voter understands the reality before making up his mind for the choice of the party it wants to choose for taking the country forward in the 21st century," the party said in its mouthpiece.
The party also had a dig the BJP without naming it for raising the "bogey of anti-Congressism" saying it reflects the main Opposition party has no positive or creative philosophy.
Apparently with the emergence of AAP on its mind, which snatched power from Congress in Delhi after 15 years of uninterrupted rule and opinion polls projecting a surge for Narendra Modi-led BJP, Congress also cautioned the youth of the country from "those who promise the moon".
"A growing economy is always impatient. The new generation youth, who have had a taste of affluence is in a great hurry for achieving greater heights. The impatience of the youth is exploited by those, who promise the moon.
"The discerning youth needs to realise that governance is not a race but a means to a stable future both for youth and the country...Congress is the only mature and stable vehicle for achieving progress," the party said.
BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi have been repeating the talk of making a "Congress free India" in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
"The bogey of anti-Congressism, which has raised its head time and again is but a reflection of any positive or creative philosophy available to the main Opposition party in the run up to Elections 2014," the Sandesh said.
In its editorial, it said,"The main Opposition party has come out with a slogan that in the election of 2014, they want a Congress free polity. Those, who even think like this are so far removed from the reality of the country."
With BJP attempting to turn 2014 Lok Sabha elections into a contest of personalities after projecting Narendra Modi, the Congress mouthpiece said,"...The BJP has given many Prime Ministers in waiting, as it has now, without taking into consideration a basic fact that the elections in our country are not fought on the basis of individuals but on basis of parties."
It added that the elected representatives choose their leader, who then becomes Prime Minister.
The party`s editorial said that reverses have not deterred Congress, and regrouping and finding favour with the people of the country again and again.
