Hours after BSP supremo Mayawati and Samajwadi Party President forged a 'Grand Alliance' to take on BJP and Congress in Uttar Pradesh ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Congress Party President Rahul Gandhi said that he has tremendous respect for the two party leaders.
Addressing a gathering in Dubai, the Congress scion said; "Congress party has tremendous to offer to the people of Uttar Pradesh. I have tremendous respect for the leaders of BSP and SP."
Speaking on the SP-BSP alliance, he said, "BSP and SP have made a political decision. It is on us how to strengthen the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh. We will fight with our full capacity."
Earlier in the day, the once arch-rivals Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party announced Saturday their tie-up in Uttar Pradesh for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, sharing 38 seats each and keeping the Congress out of the alliance.
The parties, however, said they would not field candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli, represented by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
They also left two seats out of the 80 in the state for smaller allies, without naming them. But there have been talks with Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal.
