Congress says it will contest all 10 seats in Amethi, Rae Bareli

AMETHI (UTTAR PRADESH): Notwithstanding its alliance with Samajwadi Party, Congress will contest all the 10 Assembly seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha constituencies represented by Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, respectively, in Uttar Pradesh, the party announced here today.

"According to the party high command, Congress will contest all the 10 seats in Amethi and Rae Bareli," said Congress leader Sanjay Singh, who heads the campaign committee of the party.

Fielding of candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli was one of the issues of contention between Congress and SP during their talks to forge the pre-poll alliance.

Singh claimed that Samajwadi Party had assured Congress that it (Congress) will contest on all the 10 seats in these Lok Sabha constituencies of the Congress vice president and the party president, respectively.

"Congress will contest on all the seats and the party is firm on this resolve," he stressed.

To a question on BJP fielding his estranged first wife Garima Singh from Amethi, Singh said the saffron party has "ignored its committed workers and given ticket to a candidate who is neither recognised nor has had any relation with the people of Amethi".

He went on to add that "Amethi has only one 'Rani' (queen) who is Amita Singh (his present wife) and had long been preparing ground for contesting from Amethi Assembly seat".

As per its alliance pact with SP, Congress will contest 105 out of 403 seats of the UP Assembly.