UP Polls: Congress To Join Hands With Smaller Parties, Rules Out Alliance With BSP & SP

The Congress leader ruled out an alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for the assembly elections.

Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief Ajay Kumar Lallu (File Pic)

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Kumar Lallu on Sunday said his party will forge alliances with only smaller regional parties for the state assembly polls next year.

The Congress leader ruled out an alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for the assembly elections.

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“The Congress’ stand on alliances is clear, we will forge alliances only with small parties. We will not even think about aligning again with big parties,” Lallu told PTI in an interview.

He added the Congress will “align with small parties” on the issues of the poor, farmers, youth and women’s security.

Expressing confidence of the Congress making a comeback in Uttar Pradesh, Lallu said the governments of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), BSP and SP that have ruled Uttar Pradesh in the last 32 years failed to live up to the expectations of the people.

The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief expressed confidence that the party would win the elections under Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s leadership and form the next government.

“We are moving forward as a strong opposition force and under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi we will win the polls and form the government in 2022,” he said.

Lallu further said that he was in touch with small parties on alliances but could not talk about the details now.

Asserting the Congress is the main challenger to the BJP, in the eyes of the people of Uttar Pradesh, in the 2022 assembly elections, he claimed that the SP as the main challenger to the saffron party was a media creation.

The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief claimed there is anger against the BJP over several issues, including price rise, poverty, reservation, unemployment and farmers’ plight.

“There is a strong undercurrent in favour of the Congress which will be visible in the elections,” he said.