Indicating it was premature for the Congress to consider going it alone in the next Lok Sabha elections, party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi today said it would be a "shallow idea" to follow the UP experiment in other states.
On a visit here to strengthen the Youth Congress in Tamil Nadu, where the party has not been in power for the last 40 years, he made it clear that the DMK-Congress alliance in the state as well as in the Centre was working well.
Gandhi parried questions on why he has not met DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi during the current visit saying the media was needlessly trying to rake up controversy.
"In many ways I am an admirer of Mr Karunanidhi and have high respect for him," he said adding that Congress has a good relationship with the DMK.
Asked whether the successful experiment by the Congress of not having any tie-ups in UP in the last Lok Sabha elections, where its numbers went from nine to 21, would be replicated in other states, he said, "the idea that the UP concept can be applied universally across the country is a shallow idea."
"I think you have to look at every state and look at the dynamics within each state," he added.
"Each state is different. Uttar Pradesh has a particular balance, a particular politics and we were in discussions with the Samajwadi Party. Once we had assessed all the options, it became clear to us that the better option for us is to fight it alone," Gandhi said.
As far as DMK was concerned, he said, "We have a good relationship with them both here and at the Centre."
"The question whether we will fight it alone is not on the table. We are very happy with our alliance with the DMK."
Gandhi said he has "full respect" for Karunanidhi. "I have been to Tamil Nadu many, many times. I have met Mr Karunanidhi twice in my life. He is a senior leader of Tamil Nadu and he has shown the state the direction for may years."
Asked about complaints of groupism in Congress in the state, he said this existed in every state and in every single political party.
Gandhi said his visit was focussed on the issue of strengthening Youth Congress in the state, parrying questions on whether the Congress favoured going it alone or sharing power in the state.
