BJP's divisive ideology biggest threat: Sonia

Asks party workers not to lose hope

Making a scathing attack on the BJP, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today warned that the country faced the biggest threat from communal forces and their ideology even as the AICC resolution called upon "like-minded political and social forces to come together at this critical juncture".

Apparently referring to the recent drubbing in the Assembly polls, she said there might be "some shortcomings" in meeting the hopes and expectations of the common people and requested all to "be a little soft" towards her party in view of the slew of programmes and policies implemented by the UPA government.

The resolution's phraseology was almost similar to the one adopted by the Congress at the Shimla Conclave in 2003 when the party shed its reservation to coalition politics. Congress had then called for unity of secular forces.

Asking the party workers not to lose heart after the recent drubbing in assembly elections, Gandhi said that victory and defeat are inescapable in politics and Congress always has the resilience to bounce back by fighting the challenges strongly.

"Congress has faced many difficult times in the past, much tougher than today, but we have never lost heart," she said signalling that the party was battle ready for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.