HAVING made a stunning recovery in Bihar, where it contested the Assembly elections as part of the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) with the JD(U) and the RJD, an invigorated Congress Sunday warned the ruling Samajwadi Party and Opposition BSP in Uttar Pradesh and said it will take on both the parties in the 2017 Assembly elections. It is after a long time that the Congress launched a direct attack on Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati accusing them of trying to serve the agenda of BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Issuing a warning to both the leaders, Congress state president Nirmal Khatri said, “Bihar election results have made it clear that public has rejected the politics of communalism, fake promises and other tactics of BJP. Similarly, public has also rejected the tactics adopted by SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati to ensure Narendra Modi's victory”. [related-post] “ Now, in the 2017 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, they should be ready to face the counter attack of Congress, which has seen the intentions of both these leaders,” Khatri added. Asked about its sudden attack on BSP, Congress spokesperson Satyadev Tripathi told the Indian Express: “Like Mulayam, even Mayawati fielded candidates in a strategic manner in Bihar to help the BJP. Congress has watched it very carefully and would reply them appropriately in 2017 elections”. Of the total 243 seats in Bihar, Congress had contested on 41 of them. When the results came out Sunday, party emerged victorious on 27 seats. A senior party leader said that results were beyond the expectations as top leaders were hoping to win only around a dozen seats. The party had won only four seats in 2010 Assembly polls in Bihar while contesting on all 243 seats. A total of 216 Congress candidates had to forfeit their deposit. In the last Assembly polls in 2012 in UP, Congress had contested on 355 seats and won only 28 while its candidates lost the deposit on 240 seats. A senior leader said that aggressive attack by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Narendra Modi government gave such results in Bihar and has raised the morale of party workers across UP. He said the party is now expecting to be in a fighting position against the SP and BSP in 2017 UP polls. Congress national spokesperson and chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Caste P L Punia said the Bihar results have come as a big morale booster for the party in UP. He said the party will now work more aggressively to expose the SP, BSP and BJP on the fronts of corruption, lawlessness, arrogance and lies. Former MP from Barabanki, Punia said that party has called a meeting of its senior leaders of UP and other members of AICC, on November 21 in Noida. Rahul Gandhi is likely to chair the meet. Congress MLA from Marihan in Mirzapur district, Lalitesh Pati Tripathi said, “RJD chief Lalu Prasad has announced to visit PM's constituency Varanasi after Chhath puja to expose the development that has taken place so far in the NDA rule. Congress workers have decided to welcome him in Varanasi and take him on a tour of city to show him the real condition”.
