Bypoll debacle: Sonia should review fractured UPA-NCP

Patna, Nov 11 (UNI) The Nationalist Congress Party today demanded review of the UPA-NCP alliance at the national level by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi as a 'fracture' in the Alliance led to NDAs victory in the bypoll in Bihar.

After assessing the reasons for UPA's debacle in the recently held bypolls for two Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, NCP national general secretary and MP Tariq Anwar told newspersons here that the 'defeat was imminent' as one of the major allies--RJD--toed a separate line.

''The sole motive on which the UPA was formed was to keep communal parties at bay which has been defeated with the steps taken by RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad,'' he lamented.

''In the given situation, the Congress leadership and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi should seriously consider and review the status of UPA which actually stands scattered,'' Mr Anwar said adding the situation 'precipitated' due to the political aspirations of Mr Prasad. He admitted that the political future of UPA was being affected saying it was constituted at the national level keeping in mind the Lok Sabha elections.

To a query he said the alliace partners were free to decide their own course in the assembly elections for their separate identites and existence in their jurisdiction. He, however, said the candidature for the coming by-elections for Manihari assembly seat, vacated following the death of Mubarak Hussain, would be decided unanimously.

He dubbed the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar as 'a big failure' saying that one year was enough to assess the performance of any government.

The NDA government had failed to fulfil the promises it had made during and after the elections for sushasan (Good Administration)'', development, minimising unemployment, setting up more industries, and appointing more teachers among others. He said the National Highways, considered nerves for development, were in a shambles in Bihar.

Mr Anwar announced to hold a dharna in the state capital on November 24 to 'expose the failures' of the NDA government.

He also demanded making Barh a separate district and said his party would demonstrate there on November 27.

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