Cong does not rule out alliance with RLD, Jan Morcha

Lucknow, Mar 2 (UNI) The Congress today did not rule out possibilities of alliance with Ajit Singh's RLD and V P Singh's Jan Morcha in the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.

Talking to reporters here after attending a meeting of the state election committee chaired by AICC general secretary in charge of UP Ashok Gehlot, UP Congress chief Salman Khurshid said possibilities of an alliance with the two parties cannot be ruled out. ''But a final decision will be taken by the high command.'' He, however, maintained the Congress was preparing to contest all the 403 assembly seats. ''Keeping in mind the present scenario, we are preparing to contest all the seats...talks for a prospective alliance were held on various occasions. As the talks are continuing and the outcome unknown, we are ready for all the seats,'' he added.

Mr Khurshid said the party would finalise the list of candidates for all the seats in all the seven phases by March 11. ''The panel is ready...Mr Rahul Gandhi has interviewed most of the candidates.'' The election committee also passed a unanimous resolution authorising AICC president Sonia Gandhi to take a final decision on the selection of candidates for the election.

UNI