BJP positioning Congress as key player in UP, says Samajwadi Party
In an interesting twist to the political drama in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has alleged that the Congress is being positioned as the main challenger to the BJP by the Yogi Adityanath government itself.
A senior SP leader, who spoke to IANS on condition of anonymity, said, "It is clear that the state government is hand-in-glove with the Congress and trying to promote Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's 'struggle'. Whether it is her visit to Lakhimpur Kheri or Agra, she is being deliberately detained so that she can derive media mileage on the issue."
He further explained, "The BJP knows that the Congress is a non-player and it suits them to divert attention from the Samajwadi Party which has emerged as its main challenger. The Congress can get media headlines but not votes and that is what the BJP wants."
A senior SP MLA said that by recognising the 'struggle' of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and pushing her into limelight at every occasion, the Yogi Adityanath government wants to propel the Congress into the position of a main player for the Assembly elections even though they know that the Congress is no challenge to them.
Samajwadi president Akhilesh Yadav recently said that it was a part of the BJP strategy to show that the Congress is a major player in Uttar Pradesh.
Senior political analyst SB Singh said that the BJP is cleverly giving more importance to the activities of Priyanka and the Congress in order to pave the way for a three-cornered contest in the upcoming Assembly elections.
"It is a known fact that in a straight contest, the ruling party faces a disadvantage, and when the opposition vote splits, it is an advantage for the ruling party," he said.
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