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Sonia not to be projected as PM: Margaret Alva

The Congress will not project any individual, even party president Sonia Gandhi, as its prime ministerial candidate during its election campaign, senior party leader Margaret Alva said today.

Talking to newsmen in Belgaum, she said only the Congress Parliamentary Party would take a decision on the leadership issue after the poll. Replying to a question, Alva hoped that the Congress would secure a majority in the assembly elections in the state.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Anantkumar, seeking re-election from the Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency, has launched a hi-tech campaign by releasing Compact Discs and video cassettes. Known for his innovative campaign techniques, Anantkumar was the first candidate in the country to reach out to the voters through the Internet in the 1996 elections, when he had set up a separate website. The website is being used for the current elections as well.

The 25-minute video cassette and CD commence with an appeal from Prime Minister Vajpayee (while addressing a recent public meeting in Bangalore) and list various achievements of Anantkumar as Union minister.

They also deal with his political career and the programmes taken up by him under the MPs' Local Area Development schemes, besides a brief question-and-answer session with him on various issues ranging from Kargil to Sonia Gandhi's candidature in Bellary. Anantkumar said he had resorted to the hi-tech campaign to be in tune with Bangalore city, which has become the ''Silicon Valley of Asia.''

UNI

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