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Sheela Bhatt in Mumbai
Arjun Singh, member of the Congress Working Committee, admitted on Sunday that the party was in no position to return to power in Uttar Pradesh, which goes to the polls next month.
Singh told rediff.com, "Our party has assessed the ground situation. We are not entertaining the idea of forming the government in UP. We know our organisation in UP is weak."
Singh was in Mumbai to address some "Muslim constituencies" in the city, which faces an election for its municipal corporation next month.
Commenting on the VHP's sant chetavni yatra, Singh said, "This shows the BJP is insincere in its fight against fundamentalism and terrorism. It's unfortunate that when the situation at the border is sensitive, Hindu fundamentalists are dragging the issue of Ayodhya once again to the streets. The image of India is of little consequence to the BJP."
He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of stage-managing the Ayodhya issue for electoral gain. "The manner in which they have governed over the last 3-4 years, they have alienated all sections of society [in Uttar Pradesh]," he said. "The support of farmers, traders and youth has been lost. Now they are left with no option but to flare up the temple issue."
Asked about the impact actor Amitabh Bachchan's campaign would have on the electoral outcome in the state, Singh said, "Amitabh is not going to make any difference in UP. Mulayam Singh Yadav has an edge in which Amitabh Bachchan has not contributed!"
"The Congress is weak," Singh agreed, "but we are improving fast. We are not going by a caste or communal line. We are raising the issue of the lack of development."
"UP voters have understood the game," he continued. "They know that in this battle for UP, they have suffered a personal loss. You want roads and schools or your caste? The Congress election plank is development."
Asked about Congress president Sonia Gandhi's charisma vis-à-vis that of Bachchan, Singh dismissed the seriousness of the latter's election speeches. "Sonia Gandhi is a political leader," he said. "She has her own place in the Indian polity. Others may campaign; she is not trying to match anyone."
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