Congress president Rahul Gandhi's attack on the Samajwadi Party (SP) and BSP in his recent election rallies in Uttar Pradesh may have taken many by surprise but political experts opine that it is not without reason.

Rahul, who had spared the 'mahagathbandhan' during his rallies in the state in the western and central regions, had said at a rally in Barabanki, about 40 kilometres from there, that SP and BSP lacked the capability to confront prime minister Narendra Modi.

''SP and BSP are remote controlled by the BJP...these parties can not take on Modi...only Congress can do that....BJP can not exert any pressure on me as I have no history (charges),'' the Congress president said.

Rahul's attack evoked a sharp counter from the SP and BSP. SP president Akhilesh Yadav, who had been soft on the grand old party, said that there was no difference between the Congress and BJP.

Political experts said that the stakes were higher for the Congress in forthcoming phases of polling in UP as the grand old party had fared well in the eastern region of the state in 2009 Lok Sabha polls and won more than a dozen seats.

''Rahul wants to project that it is the Congress, which is taking on the BJP in the eastern region and not the grand alliance and hence the attack on the SP and BSP,'' said Lucknow based media analyst Ravi Shankar Upadhyaya.

In 2009 LS polls Congress had won Barabanki, Kushinagar, Pratapgarh, Baharaich, Shravasti, Maharajganj, Faizabad, Dhaurahara and some other LS seats besides Amethi and Raebareli.

Upadhyaya said that this time also the Congress was focussing on these seats and fielded strong candidates. ''It hopes to corner anti-BJP votes by this strategy,'' he remarked.