Congress confident of a sweep; hints at widening UPA

With trends signalling a decisive edge to the UPA, an upbeat Congress claimed that it would sweep the elections and hinted at expanding the UPA by including 'more secular parties'.

With trends signalling a decisive edge to the UPA, an upbeat Congress on Saturday claimed that it would sweep the elections and hinted at expanding the UPA by including "more secular parties".

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"We will sweep the election. The Congress and its allies will form the government. More secular parties can join us. Discussions are on in this regard," senior Congress leader Motilal Vora told PTI.

To a question whether the Congress thinks that the President should invite the single-largest party to form the government, the veteran leader said, "It has always been a tradition to invite the single-largest party along with its allies to form a government."

When asked whether the Congress' rise in the Hindi heartland symbolises people's disenchantment with regional parties, Vora said, "The Congress is bettering its performance in UP because people have understood that only the Congress can guarantee development for them."

While giving credit to all congress leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party's General Secreatry Rahul Gandhi for performance in UP, Vora also praised Priyanka Gandhi profusely.