Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday underlined his party’s ambitions in Uttar Pradesh saying the party cannot afford to be weak in the state.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a leader of Congress party and sister of the party president Rahul Gandhi, waves to her supporters during a roadshow in Lucknow. (Reuters)
‘Congress started in UP and it cannot stay weak here. Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiarditya Scindia will make Congress strong in UP again,’ Rahul said at headquarters in UP unit of the Congress in Lucknow at the end of a mammoth road show that his sister Priyanka launched in her first visit to .the state sicne her appointment as c general secretary in charge of eastern U.P.
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While the roadshow marked Priyanka’s formal entry into active politics, Rahul set his sight beyond the upcoming general elections to regain power in U.P.
‘Congress party has to form government in Uttar Pradesh.’
The Congress president reiterated that the party will fight the elections on its own in India’s most populous state which sends 80 lawmakers to the Lok Sabha. The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party which announced an alliance last month, left the Congress put of it but said they would not contest from Rae Bareilly and Amethi - the Lok Sabha seats of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
‘I respect Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav, but Congress will fight with all its might in Uttar Pradesh,’ Rahul said.
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The Congress won two Lok Sabha seats in U.P. in 2014.
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The Congress won two Lok Sabha seats in U.P. in 2014.
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Rahul Gandhi also brought up the Rafale aircraft deal to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi , accusing him once again of manipulating the contract to benefit Anil Ambani.
“In every defence deal there is a clause against corruption.Narendra Modi scrapped the corruption clause to benefit Anil Ambani,” he said.
He also accused the Prime Minister of ignoring farmers and favouring industrialists.
“Modi’s empty slogans are there before the people to see Chowkidar waived ₹3.5 lakh crore of loans for industrialists but not farmers.”
The Congress has consistently attacked the Modi government for not addressing farm distress in the country and the issue was one of the main election planks for the grand old party in the recent assembly elections in five states.
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