Hours after the SP and BSP announced their alliance without the Congress in Uttar Pradesh for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said his party will fight the elections in the state with "full capacity".
Addressing a press conference in Dubai, Gandhi said he has a "tremendous respect" to the leaders of the two parties and "they have a right to do what they want to do".
"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," he said.
"Congress party has tremendous to offer to the people of Uttar Pradesh. On BSP and SP I have tremendous respect to the leaders of BSP and SP, they have a right to do what they want to do," he said.
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.