Will fight polls with all our might, says Priyanka as Cong allies with Mahan Dal
BJP had formed similar alliances with smaller parties in 2014
LUCKNOW: Congress general secretary (east UP) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said the party will fight the Lok Sabha polls ‘with all our might’ as the party announced a tie-up with Mahan Dal, signaling a willingness to ally with smaller groups in the state which sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha.
Priyanka’s west UP counterpart Jyotiraditya Scindia made the announcement in her presence after the duo held marathon meetings with party workers.
Mahan Dal is a little-known political outfit claiming support among some backward classes in select pockets of central and west UP.Both Priyanka and Jyotiraditya welcomed Mahan Dal chief Keshav Dev Maurya at the UPCC headquarters.
Priyanka said, “I welcome Mauryaji. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has given us a target of working for politics that gives representation to all classes and communities of the society. This is an attempt towards realising this goal. We want to strengthen this further to ensure fighting 2019 Lok Sabha elections with all our might, and we will fight the poll with full force now.”
Scindia said, “Mahan Dal will work with us for formation of a government at the Centre that will work for the people.”
Maurya said his party will work with the Congress in the polls. He also said he will hold a rally with Scindia in Moradabad on February 24.
The Congress had aligned with the Mahan Dal in 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections too. After the SP-BSP alliance’s snub, the Congress leaders had said the party would contest all 80 seats, though an alliance with smaller parties was not ruled out.
The BJP had formed similar
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I welcome Mauryaji. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has given us a target of working for politics that gives representation to all classes and communities of the society. This is an attempt towards realising this goal
PRIYANKA GANDHI, Cong gen secy
alliances with smaller parties like the Apna Dal in the 2014 Lok Sabha poll. It had tied up with both the Apna Dal and the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly election.
The Congress’s move has not come as a surprise to political observers, who feel the party may take more such steps to give a strong fight to the BJP.
SK Dwivedi, former head of the department (political science), Lucknow University, said, “The Congress’s main objective is to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha election. Besides bringing smaller parties together, the Congress is also going soft on the SP-BSP alliance. Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s statement that he respects SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati reflects this. The party may explore the option of having an understanding with SP and BSP too.”
Besides announcing the alliance, Priyanka and Jyotiraditya continued to hold closed door interactions with the partymen for the second day. Both the leaders are expected to conclude their interactions on Thursday. They may begin tours to Lok Sabha constituencies on February 18.