Congress releases manifesto, slams oppn' for misrule

Lucknow, Mar 31 (UNI) Congress today released its manifesto for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections across the state, excuding confidence the party would have a major role in the formation next government in the state.

In a series of manifesto release programmes in various parts of the state the Congress assured the electorate the best possible welfare measures for minorities, Dalits, backwards as well as ten per cent reservation in government jobs for the economically backward upper caste.

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.

The Congress manifesto promised to provide a government which would follow the path of devleopment, communal and social harmony and restore the development process, which was allegedly stopped after the exit of Congress from the state 17 years ago.

Mr Khurshid and Mr Gehlot said the Congress will play a role in the formation of the next government in UP.''No government in the state could be formed or run without the Congress,'' the party leaders added.

Asked since the party had already said it will not join hands with 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.'' The manifesto was released in Allahabad, Agra, Gorakhpur, Ghaziabad and Jhansi by Union ministers Kapil Sibal, Saifuddin Soz, Renuka Chaudhury and former MP chief minister Digvijay Singh respectively.

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