Ruling out any political understanding with Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hinted that Congress may go it alone in the 2012 Assembly polls in the State.
“I am ready to fight your battle. Take me where ever you want. Together, we will change Uttar Pradesh for the better,” Mr. Gandhi said addressing a rally here.
He dismissed suggestions of a political understanding reached with the BSP to help the UPA government sail through trying times in Parliament.
“Listen to me carefully. There will be no political understanding or pact with the BSP. Congress will defeat the BSP government. The youth of UP will help us achieve this,” Mr. Gandhi said.
“During voting in Parliament on the cut motions, newspapers wrote that Congress has struck a deal with the BSP. I would like to say there will be no agreement with the BSP and no compromise with the future of UP,” he said.
The Congress leader claimed that successive governments led by BJP, SP and BSP have failed to bring change to the State where people were forced to seek employment in other States.
“You go to Maharashtra and are chased away. You go to Haryana and Punjab and help those States progress. If UP strides to progress, the entire country will make a beeline to this State,” he said.
Mr. Gandhi exhorted the youth of the State to be drivers of change and take UP to the heights of glory it enjoyed in the past.
“BJP said it will work wonders. SP played the caste card and BSP said it has formed a government of Dalits. But have you ever asked the Dalits, whether the government works for them,” he asked aloud.
“The Dalits say there is no government in Uttar Pradesh and I know that you will send the BSP packing as you did with the BJP and the SP in the past,” he said.
Mr. Gandhi claimed that the funds the Centre allocates to Uttar Pradesh never reach the intended beneficiaries.
“Government at Delhi is sending crores of rupees to UP, but it is not reaching the people. We are sending funds for MNREGS, but it is not reaching the people it is meant to benefit,” he alleged.
“While in other states the scheme is being implemented, in UP when I visit villages and talk to people, they said that it is nowhere on the ground,” Mr. Gandhi said.
Mr. Gandhi also spoke about the power problem in this district. “Power generated here is being used by the entire State, but you (people) are not getting electricity even for five to six hours,” he said.
