Days after stitching an electoral alliance for the UP assembly elections, the Congress vice president and Samajwadi party president Akhilesh Yadav came together for the first time and promised that coming together of the `cycle’ and `hand’ will speed up the progress of the state and open new vistas of development and opportunities for the youth . Akhilesh Yadav named the new political formation as `People’s alliance’. Rahul Gandhi said the SP-Congress alliance stands for PPP (progress, prosperity and peace).
Affirming that he has `personal bond’ with Akhilesh Yadav, the Congress Vice president said alliance has strengthened his `political bonds with the Samajwadi party president. Rahul identified the BJP as the prime target of the alliance and said the alliance will fight and marginalize the divisive politics of hate and anger pursued by the RSS and the BJP.
Both the leaders addressed a joint press conference in a local five star hotel here on Sunday. The two parties had announced their pre poll alliance at the same venue on January 22. Addressing a joint press conference Rahul Gandhi praised the Bahujan Samaj party president Mayawati while remained non committal whether his sister Priyanka Gandhi would campaign across the state during the seven phase state assembly elections.
“Priyanka has been of tremendous help to me and an asset for the Congress and whether she campaigns or not, it’s her choice’’. Said Rahul Gandhi. Akhilesh Yadav said the same thing for his wife Dimple Yadav, MP, saying ``she has to decide whether she will campaign or not’’.
Rahul Gandhi praised Akhilesh Yadav when asked about his performance as the chief minister. Rahul Gandhi during his Kisan yatra `27 saal se bhehal uttar Pradesh’’, had targeted the chief minister and accused it of ignoring the interests of the farmers and the poor.
``I can say for Akhilesh that he has very clean intention and we support his clear intentions but he was not allowed to work. With clear intention Akhilesh did his best to bring change in UP, the results were mixed, some target s were achieved and there were some short fall in some sectors but an honest effort was made’’.
Using the `intention’ as political tool to target the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader said ``politics is conducted with clear intentions and RSS-BJP lack that. Narendra Modi is promising to fight the corruption and at the same time he is seen campaigning for the deputy chief minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal’’.
Asked whether the alliance was facing teething troubles over seat sharing in amethi and Raibareli districts, Rahul Gandhi said said `` seat sharing is neither central or fundamental issue, it’s a peripheral issue , the bigger issue is change in UP. We are going to change UP by empowering youth and fighting the divisive politics of the BJP’’. He added`` the basis of the alliance is to prevent the divisive politics from flourishing in UP, not the seats of Amethi and Raibareli’’.
Replying to a question Rahul Gandhi asserted that the alliance was not a ``marriage of convenience’ and it was borne out of the heart rather than the mind. ``Both the parties will have to do some compromises in the spirit of give and take. There are certain minimum from the Congress side that the welfare of the poor and the farmers is non negotiable for us and in the same manner Akhilesh has pointed out three four issues to us’’, said Rahul Gandhi. He pointed out that ``during the negotiations there was posturing from both sides. Akhilesh said something, I said something, he pretended to be angry and so did I. We used to communicate through SMS. These are all parts of negotiations. Media should not take this too seriously”. Rahul added `` posturing is the part of negotiations’’.
Asked about the strategy of both then parties to ensure the transfer of votes of each other parties to the respective candidates Rahul Gandhi saisd `` its like the confluence of two rivers Ganga and Yamuna and both the rivers are merged into one and we will contest and win the elections’’. He added `` pragati ki saraswati niklegi sangam se’’. Saraswati is the mythical third river in Allahabad which merged with Ganga and Yamuna.
Asked whether Congress has dumped the Panchmarhi resolution where it had decided to never to forge alliance with other parties Rahul Gandhi said `` it was done 20 years ago and history is not static, its dynamic and keep changing, things were different 20 years ago and today they are different and present situation is strategically is in favour of the Congress’’.
Both the leaders parried the question whether Mulayam Singh Yadav and Sonia Gandhi will campaign or the alliance in UP. Akhilesh Yadav however said `` the alliance has the blessings of both the leaders’’.
Both the leaders skipped the questions whether the alliance will be extended for the 2019 lok Sabha elections. Rahul Gandhi however said `` this is a historic alliance for the 2017 assembly election to defeat the fascist forces and 2019 is open for discussion and nothing is decided as yet’’.