'Congress now a force in UP'

Congress leaders and workers in Uttar Pradesh are elated that the Supreme Court has stayed the conviction of senior party leader Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case.

The grand old party now hopes to win a good number of seats in the state as part of the I.N.D.I.A (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls along with its allies like the Samajwadi Party and others though doubts persist about the longevity of the alliance.

Senior Congress leader Akhilesh Pratap Singh is known for his proximity to the Nehru-Gandhi family. In an interview with Manoj Bhadra, Singh, a former Congress MLA from Rudrapur in Deoria district, talked on various issues concerning Uttar Pradesh, including the present and the future of his party in the electorally most important state in the country.

Excerpts:

Q. What is the Congress strategy for the Lok Sabha polls in UP where the party set-up seems to be weak?

A: In UP, the double-engine government of Modi and Yogi has failed and now people are looking for an alternative. As part of the new I.N.D.I.A alliance, consisting of SP and RLD and other parties, Congress will emerge as the leader in the Lok Sabha polls.

Q. There are several doubts among the people about I.N.D.I.A and also about whether SP will give the desired number of seats in UP to the Congress.

A: Everyone knows that only Congress can successfully fight the NDA and throw them out from the Centre. Hence it would be better for the Opposition alliance to contest the coming Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of Congress.