Zee News

New Delhi, May 12: Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who has often been at the Centre of attack from the Left parties on reforms agenda, today said that there was no reason to assume why the two UPA allies could not work together for three more years.

"There is no reason to assume that Left will be unreasonable in its victory and Congrees will be unnecessarily timid. Both have their strengths and have worked together for two years. There is no reason for the two not to be able to work together for the next three years," he said after Left parties were set to come to power in West Bengal and Kerala.

Chidambaram said he told Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that Left parties were expected to form government in two out of five states that went to polls and the Congress supported parties in three out of five and so. "We are as much victorious as Left".

Asked if the Congress would the join a DMK-led government in Tamil Nadu, he said, "I don`t know. You are asking the wrong person. This is not the time to air private opinion. There can be more than one view but the party`s decision will be final".

On the freebies that were promised in the DMK-Congrees election manifesto in Tamil Nadu, Chidambaram said the parties were promising to give an additional subsidy of Rs 1.50 per kg over and above the Rs 2.15 that the state government already provide on rice that it procures at Rs 5.65 per kg from the Centre.

Refusing to accept that selling rice at Rs two per kg as a 'freebie', Chidambaram said, "that is a felt need of the state. There has been cases of starvation deaths and severe agrarian distress for the last three years."

He said, given the state's resources and the possibility to raise it further, the scheme was feasible to implement.

"Whether it is desirable or not people will decide."

On the promise to provide colour television, the Finance Minister said, the scheme could be implemented without being a burden on the state budget through a investment promise, supplier's credit and staggered implementation for three-four years.

Asked if the Centre would make a similar promise, he said "no we don't have to", as the priorities of Centre and state differ.

"Centre's priority is into the flagship schemes like primary education and healthcare, National Employment Guarantee Scheme and Bharat Nirman."

"Why be judgemental of state's priorities. They are different from state to state," he said.