Cong hints at post-poll pact with BSP

Varanasi, Apr 8 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Home Affairs and Congress MP from Kanpur Sriprakash Jaiswal today hinted about the possibility of a post-poll Cong-BSP pact in Uttar Pradesh.

''It will be premature to forecast anything about what will happen in UP after the seven-phase assembly polls, but this is for sure that the Congress will not go with the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) or the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP),'' Mr Jaiswal told newspersons today.

When prodded further about the prospects of having an alliance with other parties including the BSP, Mr Jaiswal said ''just wait for the outcome of elections and you will yourself know what will happen next.'' Maintaining the party was not taking the opinion or exit polls very seriously, Mr Jaiswal said ''if at all these polls are to be believed, they should show improvement in the Congress's position in comparison to the last assembly polls.'' ''We are likely to finish anywhere between 75 to 80 seats and will hold the balance of power in UP,'' he claimed.

The union minister denied that the drubbing suffered by the Congress in the Municipal Council of Delhi (MCD) elections at the hands of the BJP will not influence the poll scene in UP. ''The results will not even affect the outcome of any local body poll in UP, leave alone assembly or parliamentary elections.'' UNI