AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday favoured projecting a chief ministerial candidate in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections while indicating that “communal polarisation” would
AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday favoured projecting a chief ministerial candidate in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections while indicating that “communal polarisation” would be the main issue in this battle as this could lead to the division of the country.
Mr Azad, also the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, is in charge of party affairs in UP. He will be going to Lucknow on June 16. Mr Azad, who expects the polls to be held in January-February 2017, knows he has hardly three to four months left to deliver. This is because the next two months will have rains and the real work could begin from September, he said.
Asked about alliances, especially when the BSP moved closer to the party, supported the Congress in the trial of strength in the Uttarakhand Assembly and later transferred its votes to the Congress candidates in the recently held Rajya Sabha polls he said, “As of now, we are not talking of alliances.”
Asked would he see a grand alliance against the BJP in UP on the Bihar lines he said “Bihar is Bihar and UP is UP,” thereby suggesting that there cannot be comparison between the two states. Mr Azad was interacting with reporters at the AICC headquarters.
Asked about the role of Priyanka Gandhi and the poll strategist Prashant Kishor, he said Priyanka had earlier campaigned for the party in UP.
As for Mr Kishor, he said “he has his own role...each person, individual will play a role...supplementary, complimentary to each other.”
When his attention was drawn to suggestions that the party should project a Brahmin face, win over upper castes he clarified that the party would approach to every caste, each section of the society without indulging into forward caste, backward caste or Brahmin, Rajput, Muslim, Dalit (vote bank politics).
Responding to a question he observed earlier elections were fought on castes, regional aspirations but bringing religion to win elections is “very very dangerous to the unity and integrity of the country.”
Asked how would deal with opposition(opponents) ,he said “ I have to deal with opposition and opposition in my party(as well) .”
Although Mr Azad did not stress on who is the main opponent of the Congress in UP, he indicated that it is the BJP and the party’s focus will be on to check it at any cost.
It is unclear whether Mr Azad would get his team in UP or the current PCC chief would continue till the polls.
