Stage set for Cong-UP alliance in UP

Lucknow, July 25: Appreciating the support extended by the Samajwadi Party to the UPA government in the Trust Vote, the Uttar Pradesh Congress has said it would soon initiate talks with the SP for forging an electoral alliance in the state for the Lok Sabha polls.

'' Though we have recommended 40 out of a total of 80 seats for the Congress in UP to the high command, negotiations could be held between both the Congress and SP for an alliance,'' said UP Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi.

Addressing a press conference, Ms Joshi said the main target for the party would be to unite the secular forces as it was certain that the Bahujan Samaj Party had a ''secret pact'' with the BJP and Ms Mayawati would support the NDA after the Lok Sabha polls.

''We will go for a respectable alliance with the SP and talks will start very soon,'' she added.

Announcing that the party would launch an awareness campaign in the state in favour of the nuclear deal by distributing booklets and pamplets, the Congress leader said the UPA's victory in the Confidence Motion was a historical achievement.

The Congress also lambasted the Opposition parties for trying to communalise the nuke deal by terming it ''anti-Muslim.

''They tried their best to destabilise the government but their negative mindset was thwarted by the nationalist parties in the greater interest of the nation,'' she added.

Ms Joshi urged Ms Mayawati to concentrate on flood relief work rather than trying to attain the ''unreachable goal'' of becoming the Prime Minister of the country.

UNI