Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu leader on Sunday dismissed the Congress’ chances in the forthcoming Assembly polls across five States, saying it was so weakened as a national party that it was reduced to riding pillion on Akhilesh Yadav’s cycle in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing a poll rally at Porvorim near here, Mr. Naidu called the Congress a “sinking ship”, referring to an exodus of its top leaders in recent times. “The country is moving towards the BJP and the Congress is getting increasingly weakened. So much so, they were even willing to sit behind the bicycle of Akhilesh Yadav. In some States, it is not there any more. They are in fact disappearing from one State after another,” the Minister said. Stating that the Left parties were no more a force, Mr. Naidu exuded confidence that the BJP would come to power in Karnataka in the next elections. He said Kerala was the saffron party’s next target. — Special Correspondent
