UPA won`t return to power: Sharad Yadav

Bhopal: The Congress-led UPA government was "mired in corruption" and had "failed on all fronts", and there was no way it could return to power at the Centre after next general elections, NDA Convener Sharad Yadav said on Tuesday. "The UPA government has been hit by one scam after another during its second tenure. There is no doubt that it has failed on all fronts and it would not return to power after next year`s general elections," Yadav, who had come here for a private visit, told reporters. Yadav said various issues including scams, corruption and rising prices would be discussed in the Budget session of Parliament starting on February 21. Asked if Parliament would be allowed to run smoothly, he said he was hopeful that there would be no problem in its functioning this time. Referring to the alleged choppergate, Yadav, who is also president of Janata Dal(United), said the Indian government did not know anything about the scandal till it became an issue in Italy where the media highlighted it in a big way. Right from Bofors in the 80s to the bribery in helicopter deal, initial reports about scams first appeared in media abroad, he said. About controversial remarks by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on saffron terror, Yadav said, "It would be better if Shinde concentrates only on his job and does not waste his time in making meaningless statements". Responding to a query, he said the CBI`s credibility had sunk to a new low thanks to the manner in which the UPA government was handling the investigation agency. On the unity of NDA, Yadav said, "It was united, it is united and it will remain united in future as well," and added that some more parties may join it before the polls. PTI