Congress says SP-BSP snub a boon, will contest all 80 seats in UP

LUCKNOW: A day after it was dumped by the SP-BSP alliance, Congress announced on Sunday it would contest all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, while keeping doors open for "like-minded and secular forces" to take on BJP.

"Not being part of the alliance is good in a way. Had we been part of the gathbandhan, we would have contested on 20-odd seats. Now, we will contest all 80," said Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress general secretary and in-charge for UP, while dropping broad hints that the Ajit Singh-led RLD, which was also snubbed by the SP-BSP combine, was welcome. At the joint press conference on Saturday, SP president Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati had announced that no candidate of the gathbandhan would be fielded in Rae Bareli and Amethi, the pocket boroughs of Congress's Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, respectively. They had skirted any mention of RLD chief Ajit Singh, while leaving just two seats for other allies.

Azad said the decision to keep Congress out of the SP-BSP alliance would have no impact on the party's fight against BJP-RSS. "We are competent, battle-ready and would campaign against divisive forces. We are ready to accommodate any secular party," Azad said. He hinted that Congress was open to seat sharing with RLD, an estranged ally which contested with the grand old party in the 2014 LS polls. "We will welcome any party ready to join us against BJP," Azad said in reply to a query on a tie-up with RLD.