New Delhi: Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has opened up on several issues including her party's stance on a post-poll alliance, whether she was the face of the party and the surprising nonchalance of BSP chief Mayawati in the poll-bound state.
The Congress national general secretary said her party was open to a post-poll alliance in Uttar Pradesh with anyone except the BJP. She, however, accused both the Samajwadi Party and BJP of practising a similar kind of politics. Priyanka said the party will continue to fight for issues that matter and will be the principal party in Uttar Pradesh that stands up for the issues of people.
"The door is closed for BJP but open for other parties. Samajwadi Party and BJP are practicing a similar style of politics because they are benefitting from that kind of politics. We are saying common people should benefit, issues of development should be raised. The parties who go ahead on the basis of communalism and casteism have only an agenda. They benefit each other," she said. Asked if she sees a difference between the two parties, she said, "not in a major way".
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Priyanka also expressed "surprise" at the "low-profile campaign" of BSP in the Uttar Pradesh elections and said its campaign has not picked up the expected pace even though the state is in the middle of the polls. Asked about the widespread perception that BSP chief Mayawati was not campaigning in her usual style in the polls and was quiet, Priyanka said she was also surprised.
"I am also surprised seeing... six-seven months back we use to think that her party is not active, maybe they will start close to elections. We were also very surprised that the election has started we are in the middle of the election and it has not become active. As you said, (she) is very quiet, I am not able to understand," Priyanka said. "It is possible that the BJP government is exerting pressure," she added.
Asked about her role in five election-bound states and in other states, Priyanka said she has campaigned in Assam and Goa.
"Where ever my party tells me, I do it," she said. When asked about Congress' alliance talks not being fruitful in UP and whether fighting polls on its own would be the model in other States, Priyanka Gandhi responded that pre-poll alliances or fighting polls on its own would be "dynamic policy" for the Congress.
"I can speak for Uttar Pradesh. We have experimented with alliances in the past in UP. We had an alliance in 2017 with Samajwadi Party. Before that, we had an alliance with BSP. So in Uttar Pradesh, this is the path we have chosen. I cannot speak about other States whether the Congress party would choose this path. I think it will have a dynamic policy about this and it will make a decision according to what those decisions are," she said.
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Striking a different note, Priyanka Gandhi said she is not the only face of the party for Uttar Pradesh polls and her remarks at a press conference on Friday about being the face of the party were made in a "slight exaggerated way" in response to repeated queries from the media on the issue.
"Main ye nahi keh rahi hun ki main he chehra hun. Vo to maine thoda bad ke kah diya kyunki baar, baar aap log yahi sawal kar rahe hain. (I am not saying that I am the only face, I said that in a slightly exaggerated way because you keep asking the question time and again)," Priyanka said.
"There are so many States and they have in-charges whether it is Congress or BJP. Do you ask them whether they are chief ministerial face or not? Why don't you ask them? Why is this question being put to me?" she asked.
Priyanka, who is in-charge of poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, had made a clear indication at a press conference at AICC headquarters on Friday that she is the party's face in Uttar Pradesh elections.
She said: "Aapko kisi aur ka chehra dikh raha hai Congress party ki taraf se? To phir? Ab dikh tho raha hai na sab jagah mera chehra." (Are you seeing any other face in Uttar Pradesh from Congress? Then? My face is visible everywhere.)
Asked if there was hesitation about declaring the party's chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh, she said "where is the hesitation".
"Our party decides the face of the Chief Minister at some places, at some places we do not. This is the manner of our party, there is no hesitation".
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav have decided to contest the elections whereas BSP supremo Mayawati took a decision early this month to not contest the upcoming elections. Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls in seven phases beginning February 10 and results will be declared on March 10.
With agency inputs
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