"Congress to fight Lok Sabha polls in U.P with full force", says Rahul Gandhi after SP-BSP gathbandhan's seat-share announcement

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, January 12, declared that his party would contest the coming Lok Sabha elections with ''full force'' in Uttar Pradesh. 

Rahul Gandhi while addressing a press conference in Dubai said that ''BSP'' and SP have made a political decision, ''adding that the Congress Party will contest the polls in UP with all its might.''

''The Congress party has tremendous to offer to the people of Uttar Pradesh. I have tremendous respect to the leaders of BSP and SP, they have a right to do what they want to do. The BSP and SP have made a political decision. It's on us on how to strengthen the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh and we will fight with our full capacity,'' Rahul Gandhi told the media in Dubai. 

 READ: U.P GATHBANDHAN: BSP And SP Will Contest 38 Seats Each But Not In Rae Bareli And Amethi Despite No Alliance With Congress. Details Here

Earlier, while speaking at the joint press briefing, Mayawati attacked the Congress for corruption, highlighting the Emergency imposed by the party in the 70s and compared it with the BJP, alleging 'undeclared emergency' now. 

She said that the Congress had earlier lost power because of the Bofors scam and now the BJP would also lose power because of the Rafale scam.

Most significantly, Mayawati also said that there was no use allying with the Congress because the vote-transfer dynamics aren't effective and end up benefiting the BJP. Cementing the attack, she further said that they would not weaken themselves to indulge the Congress in any alliance

WATCH: Congress Responds To Being Dumped From The BSP-SP Uttar Pradesh Gathbandhan, Says Will Outline Its Thoughts On Sunday

 Meanwhile, earlier speaking in the matter, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said:

"The press conference in Lucknow of the leaders of the SP and BSP... we heard it, because since yesterday we have been meeting people of UP district-wise in preparation for the coming elections. But what our party's line and thought will be on this, we'll tell you tomorrow in Lucknow, as we will be there tomorrow. For two days we were in western UP meeting people and from tomorrow, we'll meet people in central and eastern UP." 

(With ANI Inputs)