Congress confident of victory, says Azad

Dubbing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance as a "sinking ship", the Congress claimed  on Tuesday that the UPA would retain power at the Centre as it enjoys the support of people for its "impressive performance and charismatic leadership".
    
While the United Progressive Alliance has the "charismatic" leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, "vast experience" of economist Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and "dynamism" in Rahul Gandhi, the "sinking" NDA lacks in these areas, All India Congress Committee general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters in Bhubhaneshwar.
    
"I am 100 per cent sure that UPA will again form the government at the Centre. During my visits to several states, I could see the tremendous support of the people for UPA," he said after attending a meeting of extended executive committee of the state party.
    
Listing the achievements of UPA government, Azad claimed India could withstand the global meltdown due to Manmohan Singh's experience as an economist and immense ability.
    
He said the BJP has projected an "over-aged" leader as its prime ministerial candidate and added that "his acceptability was also very negligible."