Dafydd Wigley: A choice between New Labour, the party of London and Plaid Cymru, the party of Wales

Speaking at the party's spring conference in Aberystwyth, its president, Dafydd Wigley, said Plaid Cymru was running second to Labour in the polls for the Welsh Assembly election in May.

With less than two months to go before the elections for the new Welsh Assembly, the nationalists believe they can make a strong showing.

Mr Wigley set his members the target of taking a majority of the assembly's 60 seats.

In his keynote speech, Mr Wigley said: "It is not our objective to see ourselves as a small opposition group within the assembly. We are working towards forming the government of Wales."

Parachuted candidates

Labour still enjoys a big opinion poll lead, but the damaging battle for its Welsh leadership has given other parties a belief they can gain ground before the vote.

Dafydd Wigley: "Working towards government"

In a scathing reference to Labour's leadership contest, Mr Wigley challenged the party to put forward constructive proposals drawn up in Wales as opposed to those "parachuted in" from London.

He said: "While the Labour Party have spent the last four months gazing at their navels, we have put forward our detailed policy proposals to meet the needs of our country."

Plaid's Assembly manifesto, to be published next month, will set out a programme of improvements in job creation, education, the health service and public transport.

The party says those priorities are things that could be achieved within the first four year term.

At the party's spring conference in Aberwystwyth Mr Wigley urged the party faithful to push for votes outside the party's traditional Welsh-speaking heartlands in the north and west of the country.

'Step forward for Wales'

And he told them opinion polls were already showing nationalist support could hit three times the 10% level at the last general election.

"Voters are looking at these assembly elections as fundamentally different to those to Westminster. People will be looking for a party which has a clear commitment to both the assembly and to Wales," he said.

Mr Wigley, MP for Caernarfon, said he was "greatly encouraged" by a poll putting him just a single point behind Welsh Secretary Alun Michael as the public's choice as prospective first secretary of the new assembly.

Mr Wigley said the assembly was a "a substantial step forward" despite the fact there would be a future need to give it law making and tax-varying powers.

He added: "We stand in this election with one purpose above all others; and that is to make a success of the assembly."