UPA intact despite hiccups, claims Congress

New Delhi/Bhubaneshwar, Mar 28 (ANI): Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi has said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is intact despite hiccups over seat sharing.

Talking to reporters here on Friday, Singhvi said, "The Lok Janshakti Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal have never left the alliance, they have repeated their allegiance to the alliance. The Samajwadi Party is not formally in the UPA but has always professed faith in it. We have a difference of seat-sharing, we have a problem in seat-sharing but we have no problem of philosophy, approach, alliance, we are together. And even the Pattali Makkal Katchi, which left yesterday, expressed faith and support for Sonia Gandhi and for the Prime Minister.

"This is very different from the total rupture and break as you've seen with the Biju Janata Dal and the BJP or with the Trinamool Congress and the BJP. We are not as successful in seat-adjustment but the alliances are not affected," he added.

Meanwhile Biju Janata Dal, which recently pulled out of the BJP, released its manifesto in Bhubaneshwar.

Like most other parties, the BJD also promises to dole out heavily subsidised foodgrains.

"We are paying 8.55 billion rupees only for providing rice at the rate of two rupees per kilogram to 5.5 million families, which constitute about 2/3rd of the total families in the state," said BJD spokesperson Damodar Raut.Politics is high in the country as India prepares to hold a five-phased elections between April 16 and May 13, in which 714 million people will cast their votes to elect a new Central Government. (ANI)