With trends signalling a decisive edge to the UPA, an upbeat Congress today claimed that it would sweep the elections and hinted at expanding the UPA by including "more secular parties".
"We will sweep the election. The Congress and its allies will form the government. More secular parties can join us. Discussions are on in this regard," senior Congress leader Motilal Vora told PTI.
To a question whether the Congress thinks that the President should invite the single-largest party to form the government, the veteran leader said, "It has always been a tradition to invite the single-largest party along with its allies to form a government."
When asked whether the Congress' rise in the Hindi heartland symbolises people's disenchantment with regional parties, Vora said, "The Congress is bettering its performance in UP because people have understood that only the Congress can guarantee development for them."
While giving credit to all congress leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party's General Secreatry Rahul Gandhi for performance in UP, Vora also praised Priyanka Gandhi profusely.
"The kind of campaigning Priyanka did in Rae Bareli and Amethi, the way she moved in villages in scorching summer... She has a charisma of her own and people like her very much," Vora said.
The Congress leader also said the trends in Kerala are also encouraging for the party. But he refused to comment on whether the Congress will seek the Left's support to form the government and said, "Let us wait for results."
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He said Manmohan Singh was never a weak Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi himself has said Singh will hold the top job if the party comes to the power. Giving full credit to Rahul Gandhi for Congress' performance in Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha polls, Vohra said that the young leaders extensive tours and hardwork worked wonders.
"Rahul Gandhi's extensive tours in the state have bore the fruit and these (the trends) are a result of the hardwork of the young leader," Vohra said. This is a turnaround in the state and the credit for this performance goes to Rahul.
This shows that the Congress has been accepted by the people including the lower section of the society, he said. Vohra also said that these trends have clearly indicated "who is a stronger Prime Minister".
"There is no doubt that the people have voted in support of the five-year rule of the Manohan Singh government," he said.