Rahul's alliance talk in UP sign of nervousness, says BJP

Lucknow, Dec 24: The BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit on Thursday,Dec 24 accused Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi of "trying to fool people" on a political alliance in the state.

The BJP said the Congress was "already in an unwritten alliance with some parties in the state", a day after Gandhi told party workers that the "Congress was open to an alliance with regional parties in Uttar Pradesh for the 2017 assembly elections if the party workers wished so".

"Congress workers fought pitched battles in front of Gandhi in Amethi on Wednesday. There was poor party reception for him, as per media reports... in such circumstances, all statements (on an alliance in UP) are signs of nervousness," state BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

The BJP leader said both Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi "made it to the Lok Sabha in 2014 at the mercy of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) as the latter did not field candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli".

"His statement that he will consult Congress workers is a big lie. Did he consult party workers before taking the support of the SP and BSP?" the BJP leader asked.

He said both the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party kept the United Progressive Alliance governments afloat for 10 years in the past.

Rahul is on a two-day visit in Amethi from December 23.

IANS