Congress to go it alone in UP

The Congress on Tuesday sought to set at rest all speculation of a possible alliance in the next year’s assembly poll  in Uttar Pradesh saying the party would not have any understanding with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The party may could consider a  tie-up with smaller outfits at some places.

The Congress also made it clear that it would prefer young and new faces. It  would also be fielding a substantial number of candidates from the scheduled caste, backward castes and the minorities.

“We will under no circumstances have any understanding with the BSP, SP or BJP. There may be some understanding with the smaller outfits and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi has been authorised  to take a decision in this regard,” Congress leader in charge of Uttar Pradesh Digvijay Singh told reporters here.

Singh said the party would start declaring its candidates for the next year’s assembly polls in the next few days. The candidates for the seats on which there would be a consensus would be announced first followed by others, he added. The congress leader hinted that the party would make the land acquisition and inadequate compensation to the farmers an election issue.

The Congress would also prepare a chargesheet against the BSP supremo Mayawati, ministers, MPs and MLAs listing the charges of corruption and crime against them and submit the same to the governor. “We will also take the list to the people of the state,” he added.