New Delhi: Days after the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party ruled out forging any major alliances for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Congress' state unit chief Ajay Kumar Lallu on Sunday expressed confidence that his party has the capacity to fight the elections without aligning with either of them and form the next government on its own. He also said the Congress would fight the polls in Uttar Pradesh next year under Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's 'dekh-rekh (supervision)', and that under her leadership, the party would make a comeback in the state after over three decades.
In an interview with media, Lallu said Congress has emerged as the main challenger to the 'oppressive' UP government and claimed that his party with just five legislators has proven to be a more effective opposition than the Samajwadi Party (SP) which has 49 MLAs in the 403-member assembly. He said 'winds of change' were blowing in UP and added, 'Badlav ki aandhi hai, jiska naam Priyanka Gandhi hai (There is a storm of change and its name is Priyanka Gandhi).' Lallu asserted that the Congress organisation has been strengthened at various levels in UP under Priyanka Gandhi's leadership.
Asked if Priyanka Gandhi should be made the chief ministerial face by the party for the polls, he said it is the party's national leadership that would decide on who should be the chief ministerial face. Pressed on whether Priyanka Gandhi would be the party's face in the run up to the polls, Lallu said she is UP's in-charge and the elections will be fought under her supervision. 'The people of Uttar Pradesh are looking at Congress with hope. There is a lot of enthusiasm among the workers and under her leadership, the Congress government will be formed in UP,' he said.
His remarks come at a time when the party has shifted gears for the assembly elections with the state unit organising zone-wise training camps of block presidents, district presidents and other office bearers to prepare workers for the polls. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi is likely to visit several districts this month with an aim to enthuse the cadre and prepare the party for a pitched electoral battle with the ruling BJP. Whether the party would fight the polls on its own or in alliance with the SP or the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Lallu said the Congress will forge an alliance with issues of the people, farmers, poor, women and oppressed.
The Congress will go to the people with this alliance and is confident they will bless it, he added. Asked if the Congress has the capacity to fight the polls on its own, Lallu said, 'Yes, definitely it has the capacity to fight.' His remarks assume significance as they come days after SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said his party will not enter into any alliance with big parties, while BSP supremo Mayawati later asserted that her outfit will not enter into any alliance for the UP polls. On whether votes could get divided if the SP, the BSP and the Congress contest separately, Lallu said people had given opportunity to the other political players in the state but they were not able to stay true to the faith shown by the people and now it was the Congress' turn.
About SP and BSP leaders' statements on the polls, he said it reflected frustration and disappointment as people have rejected them and are standing with the Congress. On many political pundits not considering the Congress the main challenger to the BJP in UP and the party's poor showing in the panchayat polls, he alleged that an 'oppressive' BJP government is in power and said if any party is raising its voice against the Yogi Adityanath dispensation on the streets, it is the Congress which has emerged as a 'strong opposition'. 'Be it for farmers, youth or poor in rural areas, Congress has raised its voice on issues such as unemployment, law and order situation, saving lives during the Covid pandemic, on deaths due to spurious liquor, jungle raj and other problems,' he said.