Cong to contest all UP seats
The Congress has decided to contest all the 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, sending a clear message to the ruling BSP, SP and the BJP that it is prepared to face them singly or collectively.
The three parties have ruled the state for the last 20 years either through an alliance or on their own. While the BSP came to power on its own only after diluting the anti-upper caste stance, Mr Mulayam Singh became the chief minister on the outside support by the Congress. The BJP had exploited the Ayodhya issue to come to power but failed in governance, especially its promise of bringing Ram Rajya. AICC general secretary and in-charge of the party affairs in the state Digvijay Singh on Wednesday said the “poll process has already begun” in Uttar Pradesh with the party appointing 10 observers. Each observer will be made in charge of at least 40 Assembly constituencies. “We will contest all the 403 seats in the state. The names of candidates would be announced much in advance, which would give them time to organise themselves and fight the election with greater focus,” Mr Singh said.
Though Congress officials in the AICC and in UP are tight-lipped about the speculation of the RLD’s plan to merge with the Congress, they are not denying the behind-the-scene movements of the coming together of the two parties.
The RLD, led by Mr Ajit Singh, had voted against the UPA government in the LS in 2008. After that, he moved closer to the Third Front and the NDA. Now he has realised his party would have no future unless it allies with the Congress.
But the Congress is said to be pressing for a merger.
According to the sources, major parties in UP — the SP, BSP, Congress and the BJP — are in favour of trifurcating UP by creating Bundelkhand and Harit Pradesh. If this takes place before the polls then Mr Ajit Singh, Mr Mulayam Singh, Ms Mayawati can become CMs of new states and the Congress would not lag behind in the power game.
The Congress is on a revival mode in UP, from where two of its top leaders contest elections - party President Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli and Rahul Gandhi from Amethi.
In the last Lok Sabha elections, the party won an impressive 22 seats, giving two of its main rivals SP and the BSP jitters ahead of the Assembly polls.
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