UP Cong denies ‘ maha alliance’ talk
The UP Congress is vehemently opposed to a maha-alliance on the Bihar pattern party in UP to keep the BJP at bay.
UPCC president Nirmal Khatri told reporters on Saturday that the Congress had suffered immensely whenever it has entered into an alliance and the party was better off on its own. Explaining further he said that the Congress alliance with the BSP in 1996 led to the party’s decline. “In 1989, the Congress lost the elections but the position was still not as bad as it because after 1996 alliance,” he said.
He also emphasised that there was no talk of any alliance in the party and the media reports in this regard were misleading.
He said that the UP Congress had sent a letter to the Election Commission drawing its attention to the fact that the SP government in the state was misusing the official machinery for its advantage during the bypolls.
It is only in very rare cases like the Ferozabad bypoll in 2009 that Rahul Gandhi had campaigned — Nirmal Khatri UPCC president
“Three to four Samajwadi ministers are camping in every constituency where bypolls are being held and they are pressurising village heads and ration shop owners to muster support for the party or face consequences,” he alleged.
Mr Khatri further clarified reports about Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice- president Rahul Gandhi were not campaigning in Uttar Pradesh and said, “Top party leaders never campaign in byelections and this is a tradition in the party. It is only in very rare cases like the Ferozabad bypoll in 2009 that Rahul Gandhi had campaigned.”
The UPCC further announced that the Congress would take out protest marches in every district headquarters on September 2 to draw attention to the ruling Modi government’s reported failure to deliver on its election promises.
The issues that are to be taken up by the UP Congress include the failure of the Modi government to bring back black money, arrest inflation, check infiltration on Pakistan and China borders and maintain communal harmony.