Sonia reaches out to estranged allies

NEW DELHI: Reaching out to estranged allies, Congress President Sonia Gandhi has spoken to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan apparently over government formation after the election results are out on Saturday.

Apart from these two leaders, she has spoke to NCP chief Sharad Pawar on telephone as TV exit polls predicted a slight edge for the Congress-led UPA in the race for power at the Centre.

During the campaign, there was a lot of bad blood between leaders of Congress and RJD, LJP and SP, the troika forming the Fourth Front, but Gandhi scrupulously kept herself out of the war of words.

Highly placed sources said Gandhi was in regular touch with allies and the party would wait for small outfits to open their cards once the results are out.

Meanwhile, asked about possible tie-ups, Congress today said that it only considers BJP and Shiv Sena as communal parties.

"Only BJP and Shiv Sena are communal. We won't have anything to do with these parties who spread hate and communalism," AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh told reporters here.

Asked whether Congress would seek an alliance with AIADMK, he merely said "AIADMK is not a communal party."