Former union minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday said the Congress would not form alliance with any party in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. The senior Congress leader also said the elections would be fought under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi but the face for the CM candidate was not clear as of now.
"The party will not form alliance with any party. We will contest the elections with firm belief. Party workers will go to each constituency to know the problems being faced by the local people..." he said, adding the Congress would field candidates for all 403 assembly seats in UP. Khurshid stressed that the manifesto would include voices of the common people.
"The party members have been visiting assemblies and trying to contact people and know problems being faced by the locals," he said. Khurshid was in Agra to meet people to be able to prepare the manifesto.
He was accompanied by Congress National Spokesperson Supriya Shrinet and others. During his visit, the senior Congress leader also went to Tora village and interacted with the locals. While talking to reporters in Agra on Sunday afternoon, Khurshid said: "We have visited other districts such as Ayodhya, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, etc and on Sunday in Agra, interacted with the natives of Tora village. People complained about several issues such as pension for widows and old people." "During interaction with the people, they complained about rising electricity bills in Agra city, rations, and also highlighted other basic issues," he said.
"The manifesto this time would not be prepared on the recommendation of the experts, it would include the general issues of the local people. It would make them happy and they can say that this manifesto is their own," he added. Asked about leaders like Jiten Prasad exiting from the party, the former union minister said: It doesn't mean that young leaders are leaving Congress.
Meanwhile, Supriya Shrinet criticised the BJP government for the issue of farmers' agitation. "Both central and state governments have forgotten their duty and are exploiting the common people," she alleged. Khurshid added: "Congress supports them in their struggle." .
