'Katiyar only strong candidate against Sonia'

Lucknow, Apr 21: The BJP today claimed that former Uttar Pradesh party unit chief Vinay Katiyar was the only ''strong candidate'' pitted against Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the Rae Bareli bypoll and a straight contest between the two parties was on the cards.

Talking to reporters here, BJP president Rajnath Singh said out of the more than 25 candidates in fray besides Ms Gandhi, Mr Katiyar was the only strong candidate to take on the Congress president, seeking re-election to the Lok Sabha.

''Now it is a direct fight between the Congress and the BJP,'' he asserted.

Mr Singh, who reached the state capital early today on his Bharat Suraksha Rath, said he would also campaign for Mr Katiyar who filed his nomination for the May 8 bypoll yesterday.

He ruled out any last minute tie-up with expelled BJP leader Uma Bharti to take on the UPA chairperson. He also skirted questions on Mr Katiyar's soft stand on Ms Bharti -- who has fielded Prabha Singh Lodh on an Apna Dal ticket.

On Mr Katiyar allegedly terming Ms Bharti as his younger sister in Rae Bareli, Mr Singh said although he was not aware of this statement, such addresses were part of basic courtesy among political rivals.

In Rae Bareli yesterday, BJP leader and former union minister Pramod Mahajan had alleged that the Congress president had forced the bypoll on the Rae Baerli electorate.

''Ms Gandhi was termed as 'apostle of sacrifice' after she resigned from her Rae Baerli seat. But, now she is again in the fray for her Lok Sabha membership,'' he said.

Mr Mahajan claimed the BJP nominee (Katiyar) had filed his papers on the last day of filing nominations as part of the party's strategy.

He said Ms Gandhi's foreign origin was the main electoral issue of the party, apart from terrorism and the UPA government failure on all fronts.

UNI

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