Congress a 'vote katua' party: BJP

After Priyanka Gandhi's comments that her party candidates would cut into the votes of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh on seats where they are not in a position to win, the BJP ridiculed the Congress, saying it had become “a vote katua party” foreseeing its defeat in the elections.

The BJP said the AICC general secretary's remarks had shown that the Congress had accepted its defeat in the polls. It also asked the Congress to reveal its relationship with the grand alliance of the SP, BSP and Ajit Singh's RLD in Uttar Pradesh.

“The Congress party is not contesting elections to win but to cut into votes of BJP. Today, the grand old party has become a 'vote katua' party. The keyword here is confusion and we want to ask Congress about its relation with grand alliance," BJP spokeperson and its Lok Sabha candidate from Puri seat in Odisha Sambit Patra said at a press conference here on Wednesday.

'Vote katua' is a term in Hindi used for those who may not win in the elections but certainly tilt the electoral balance in favour of a contestant by cutting into the votes of the others in the fray.

Earlier, there was a perception in political circles that the Congress has fielded its candidates from a total of 70 seats in Uttar Pradesh with a strategy to cut into upper caste votes of the BJP, particularly those of the Brahmins, to dent the latter's poll prospects in the state.

Priyanka's comments that her party candidates would not cut into votes of the SP-BSP-RLD candidates but only of the BJP in seats where the Congress' candidates are weak, has brought her party's strategy out in the open. It could now be difficult for the Congress to walk away with upper caste votes.

At the same time, the message that the Congress is not contesting against the SP-BSP-RLD could help consolidate Muslim votes in its favour wherever its candidates are strong.