Anna Hazare vows to start new anti-Congress drive

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NEW DELHI, Nov 4 (AFP): Indian social activist Anna Hazare, whose campaign for a tough anti-corruption law has drawn huge public support, vowed Friday to start a new movement against the ruling Congress party. The 74-year-old activist wants anti-graft legislation passed by the end of the winter session of parliament on December 21 that would create a powerful independent ombudsman able to investigate and prosecute public servants. "If the bill is not passed in the winter session, I will go to the five poll states facing elections and urge people not to vote for Congress," Hazare told reporters in New Delhi soon after ending a 19-day "vow of silence". Elections are slated for the states of Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttar Pradesh in 2012. The anti-corruption movement, spearheaded by Hazare, has dealt a major blow to the Congress party's chances of wining the elections, analysts say. Hazare said he did not intend to destabilise the government and added that he was confident that strong legislation would reduce corruption in the country by "at least 60 percent".