Sonia expresses readiness to face mid-term polls

NEW DELHI: UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday expressed the Congress' readiness to face elections while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sought to play down speculation that the country was headed for mid-term polls.

"Not at all. If there are elections you face it," Gandhi said when asked whether she was concerned about the prospects of mid-term elections.

Gandhi faced a volley of questions from reporters at an 'Iftar' party hosted by the Prime Minister, but politely declined to respond.

"This is PM's Iftar party. I will speak to you on some other occasion," was her cryptic reply.

The Prime Minister was asked whether he felt snap polls are inevitable. "Nothing is inevitable," he responded.

To a question whether the Left parties would pull the rug, Singh remarked, "I am not an astrologer."

Vice President Hamid Ansari, several Cabinet ministers, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Jammu and Kashmir CM Ghulam Nabi Azad, top AICC functionaries and diplomats were present at the Iftar hosted by Singh at his 7, Race Course residence.

Asked whether coalition politics is working, he said, "We have to make it work."

Speculation has been rife about the possibility of mid-term polls with the Left strongly opposing the Indo-US nuclear deal and the government showing keenness to go ahead with it.

The Left parties have virtually threatened a review of their support if the Government operationalises the deal.