Rahul Gandhi keeps up suspense on alliance, says UP polls will be an exciting affair

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi today kept up suspense over Congress' alliance for the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, remarking cryptically that the election in the politically crucial state will be an "exciting affair".

"Uttar Pradesh mein maja aayega (it will be an exciting affair)," he said while delivering valedictory address of Congress' 'Jan Vedna' meeting against note ban here.

While Rahul kept cards close to his chest on forging an alliance with any party as the word about Congress' tie-up with Samajwadi Party was doing the rounds, leaders of his party made strong pitch against "strengthening" regional parties, insisting that the Congress should try to become strong.


"Whenever regional parties gain strength, the BJP becomes strong. For India to (attain) progress, Congress should become strong and for that, regional parties should become weak," said former Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief Nirmal Khatri.

Congress' Gujarat unit chief Bharatsinh Solanki wanted the party to work hard and come up winner. He said if the party was determined to "defeat" Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it should defeat the BJP in the upcoming assembly polls in five states.

"If we are determined to remove Modi, we should defeat him in assembly elections in the five states. If we fail in doing that, perception around us will change at a time when people have gradually started coming to us," Solanki stated.

P C Vishnunath, party leader from Kerala, described Modi as "Narendra Damodardas Tuglak" and added "we cannot allow Hitler and Mussolini in India."