Lucknow: It seems that Congress is not happy with the recent development of SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh. It is clear with the announcement that Congress has decided to contest all 80 Lok Sabha seats in upcoming general elections.
“We didn’t break this alliance, public should know that. We had earlier also said that we’re ready to walk with every party that wants to defeat BJP. But we can’t force anyone. They’ve (SP-BSP) closed this chapter, so we’ll continue this fight for defeating BJP on our own,” ANI quoted Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad as saying.
GN Azad: We didn’t break this alliance, public should know that. We had earlier also said that we’re ready to walk with every party that wants to defeat BJP. But we can’t force anyone. They’ve (SP-BSP) closed this chapter, so we’ll continue this fight for defeating BJP on our own pic.twitter.com/8HcXZIMLr4
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 13, 2019
“We will fight on all 80 seats of Uttar Pradesh in upcoming Lok Sabha elections. We are fully prepared. And just like Congress emerged no. 1 party in Uttar Pradesh in 2009 Lok Sabha elections, we’ll fight on our own & win twice those no. of seats in upcoming elections,” he further added.
According to media sources, Rahul Gandhi will hold 13 rallies in 13 zones in Uttar Pradesh in February. In each zone, six Lok Sabha seats will be identified and Rahul will hold one rally in each zone. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and the party’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge Raj Babbar met today to finalise the plans.
Rahul Gandhi’s rallies will begin from western Uttar Pradesh and the first phase of rallies will be held in Hapur, Moradabad and Saharanpur, sources said.
Gandhi had hinted at the party’s plans for the state after the two leaders’ seat sharing announcement on Saturday. The Congress “has lots to offer to the people of Uttar Pradesh”and will take “our own decision too,” Gandhi told reporters in Dubai.
The Samajwadi Party and Mayawati will contest 38 seats each. Of the remaining 4 seats, two are Amethi and Rae Bareli — Congress bastions held by Mr Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi. The other two will go to Ajit Singh, the chief of Rashtriya Lok Dal, which is part of the alliance in the state.
