CONG TO LEAVE 7 SEATS IN UP FOR SP-BSP COMBINE

LUCKNOW: The Congress on Sunday decided to leave seven Lok Sabha seats for the alliance comprising the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in Uttar Pradesh.

The move came days after the coalition decided that it will not field candidates from the two Congress strongholds of Rae Bareli and Amethi in the politically crucial state.

“We are thankful to them [alliance] for leaving the two seats... we are leaving seven seats for them. These seven seats include Mainpuri, Kannauj, Firozabad, and the seats from where BSP chief Mayawati and RLD leaders Ajit Singh and Jayant Chaudhary may contest the elections,” UP Congress chief Raj Babbar told mediapersons. Though the state Congress chief did not name the seventh seat, he nodded in agreement when journalists hinted at Azamgarh, from where SP chief Akhilesh Yadav may contest the Lok Sabha elections.

LUCKNOW : Congress general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Sunday targeted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for neglecting youngsters, women, farmers and working class.

“As a soldier of the Congress, my responsibility is to join hands with you to change the politics of Uttar Pradesh. The youth, farmers and working class are facing problems and we want to share their pain,’’ said Priyanka Gandhi in a letter to people a day before she begins her river journey from Prayagraj to Varanasi as part of her poll campaign.

“In the din of political calculations, the voice of youth, women, farmers, and workers has disappeared from the state’s policies.”

Priyanka Gandhi said she will undertake her journey by river route, bus, train and also go on ‘padyatra’ and reach out to the people through all the means. “The Ganga is a symbol of truth and equality and is an embodiment of Ganga-jamuni [composite] culture. The Ganga does not discriminate among the people... and I am taking its help to reach out to you,” she said in the letter.

BJP leader and state minister Mohsin Raza rejected Priyanka Gandhi’s remarks and said: “The Congress shouldn’t burden maa Ganga with its sins. ”