Cong rubbishes UP poll prediction

New Delhi, Mar 28 (UNI) The Congress today rejected a pre-poll survey which projected a mere 20-30 seats for the party in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections as the sample was ''extremely small'', but refused to quantify its expectations.

The party did not attach any significance to such pre-poll exercise and said it was confident that the Samajwadi Party government of Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav would not return to power in the elections as it had lost the people's faith, AICC spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan told reporters.

Asked about the possibility of post-poll alliances, she said this would be considered by party President Sonia Gandhi and the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on the basis of secularism and other factors.

She said her party had received ''very positive'' reports from its grassroots workers in Uttar Pradesh which talked of the Congress doing ''exceptionally well.'' Asked whether the Congress was hopeful of getting a majority in the 403-member assembly, she said she was not willing to ''put any figures'' as it was not possible at this stage.

The people of Uttar Pradesh were disillusioned with the SP as the state government had failed on the law and order and development fronts, particularly roads and power supply, she said.

UNI