Congress will spring a surprise in UP assembly polls: Sheila

’27 SAAL-UP BEHAAL’ YATRA Former Delhi CM says development of state and law and order issues would be main focus of the party

Congress chief ministerial face in UP Sheila Dikshit on Monday expressed confidence that her party would spring a surprise in next year’s assembly elections in the state.

She also expressed concern over the political ethics in UP, which she claimed was at its lowest ebb.

“The party will do well in the elections and it will surprise everyone,” she said minutes after arriving in Kanpur to join the ’27 Saal-UP Behaal’ yatra she left in Hapur on Saturday for health reasons.

“The support we have received in the course of this yatra is heartening and impressive,” she said adding that the party was reaching out to the people and its visibility had improved much as compared to SP, BSP and BJP.

“The BJP finds itself relegated to the fourth spot just in a week after Congress entered the scene,” said the three-time former Delhi chief minister.

On the slugfest between the BJP and BSP over the Dayashankar Singh remark controversy, she said “The kind of discourse that has taken place in the aftermath has crushed civility. It is a new low. Congress has always opposed such politics.”

She admitted the Congress had weakened in last 27 years as a political entity in UP but said the time was changing. There was a time, she said, UP was considered a frontline state, which had industries and employment to give.

“It will be meaningless to speak about development in UP where governments can never find a solution to the power crisis. How can we talk about industrial development without addressing the energy issue,” she said.

Dikshit said development of the state and law and order issues would be the main focus of the party in the polls.

On Priyanka Gandhi’s entry into UP poll scene, she said the party wanted her but it was a decision that she had to take. She said Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi would soon begin an aggressive campaign in UP.

Asked about her bad health and that was being played out negatively, Dikshit said she doesn’t feel old and frail. “There are many people who are older than me and still doing politics,” she said.

It will be meaningless to speak about development in UP where governments can never find a solution to the power crisis. How can we talk about industrial development without addressing the energy issue SHEILA DIKSHIT, Congress CM candidate