Congress releases manifesto, claims major role in next govt in UP

Lucknow, Mar 31 (UNI) Exuding confidence that the party would have a major role in next government formation in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress today released its election manifesto for the coming assembly polls assuring the best possible welfare measures for minority, dalits, backwards as well as ten per cent reservation in government jobs to economically backward upper caste people.

Releasing the manifesto, UP Congress Committee President Salman Khurshid and in charge of UP party affairs Ashok Gehlot said the document aimed at giving a blueprint of speedy development of the state and rid the people of communal, caste and corrupt political parties.

Sparing nothing against SP, BSP and BJP, the Congress manifesto promised to provide a government which would follow the path of devlopment, communal and social harmony and restore the development process, which was stopped after the exit of Congress from the state 17 years ago.

Mr Khaurshid and Mr Gehlot were of the view that the Congress could well have its say in the next government in UP.''No government in the state could be formed or run without Congress,'' the senior Congress leaders said.

When asked since the party had already discarded SP, BSP and BJP, how the involvement of the Congress in the government formation was being claimed, Mr Khurshid said ''the situation may arise in which other parties lend support to the Congress.'' Both the leaders, accompanied by Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari and former UP chief minister Ram Naresh Yadav, asserted the election manifesto for the UP polls was just a reflection of UPA's election manifesto at the Centre.

To a poser about the statement of party MP Rahul Gandhi in which he had been reported to have said the party was preparing for 2012 elections, the UPCC chief said ''...even if we are preparing for a marathon race, the fifty metres race if also important for us.'' MORE UNI