Cong to take on UP

The Congress’s UP in-charge was holding districtwise review meetings in Lucknow Tuesday with office-bearers and senior leaders from Etawah,Mainpuri,Auraiya and Kannauj,all SP strongholds.

Mistry also advised partymen to maintain “dignity” of language during their attack on the SP and its leaders.

“In 2009,we did not contest in Mainpuri,Kannauj and Etawah. The district units said the party should not leave out any seat this time; UPCC supports this suggestion as Congress is a national party and its symbol should not be missing from any ballot paper in the state. We might not get winning numbers but at least our cadre won’t be defunct,” said UPCC president Nirmal Khatri. He said he supports contesting all seats in the state.

Khatri said Mistry told them he would raise the issue before the party high command while urging state leaders to strengthen the structure of the party in the region.

Speaking about the 2014 Lok Sabha elections,Mistry said the ticket distribution process would start from the block level this time on the instructions of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

Mistry avoided answering question about following the same route as BJP general secretary Amit Shah during his visit to the state. On Wednesday,Mistry will visit Faizabad and on July 12,he will be in Gorakhpur.