Priyanka will be a force multiplier in UP: Dikshit

Priyanka Gandhi will be a "force multiplier" for Congress in Rahul Gandhi's "forceful" campaign in Uttar Pradesh and people will reject any attempt by BJP to use army's surgical strikes across the LoC for political gains, Congress' Chief Ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit has said.

The Congress veteran, who has been on a whirlwind tour of Uttar Pradesh where assembly polls are scheduled for early next year, also attacked the BJP for "trying to polarise" Uttar Pradesh on communal lines by raking up the contentious issue of Uniform Civil Code.

78-year-old Dikshit said Rahul, the Congress vice president, has managed to enthuse party workers to a great extent through his Kisan Yatra and, if Priyanka decides to participate actively, it will work wonders for the party which is out of power in the politically crucial state for as many as 27 years. Talking about Congress' preparations, she said the party was planning to have region-specific manifestos for the polls as different regions have different problems, adding there were signs of "clear revival" of the party across the state.

Claiming that no party will get an absolute majority in the polls, Dikshit said Congress will play a key role in formation of the next government and hinted that the party may not be averse to forging a post-poll alliance with either BSP or Samajwadi Party. "We will take a call depending on the situation after the polls. But I am very confident that Congress will play a decisive role in formation of the next government," she said.

The three-time Delhi Chief Minister accused the BJP of "conspiring" to "polarise" the state on communal lines, asserting Congress will forcefully "expose such evil designs".