UP Cong attacks Yadav govt

The Congress in Uttar Pradesh stepped up its offensive against the Samajwadi Party saying it would urge its central leadership to withdraw support to the Mulayam Singh Yadav government, which was "misusing" the administrative machinery to ensure its success in the forthcoming by-elections.

"The Samajwadi Party has been employing terror tactics and indulging in manipulation of officials for poll duty to ensure that the results of the by-elections are in its favour," UPCC media chairman and MLC Siraj Mehnda said here yesterday.

He urged the Election Commission for adequate deployment of para-military forces at sensitive booths in the state, where polling was on October 13, to ensure a free and fair polling.

Stating that the Congress had extended support to the Samajwadi Party to keep the "divisive forces" represented by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), out of power, he said the time was now ripe for taking some tough action against the "diabolical tendencies" of the state's ruling party.

"Once the by-elections are over, we will urge the central party leadership to withdraw support to the Yadav government," the Congress leader said.

Claiming that the people were fed up with the present regime and that there was a strong wave in favour of the Congress, he said "the party's state unit will continue to keep pressing for withdrawal of support to the SP, until the national leadership accedes to the demand".

The war of words between the Congress and the SP continued unabated as the UP chief minister lashed out at the Congress for demanding the deployment of para-military forces in the state during the by-elections.

"They (the Congress) should start opening poll offices rather than making complaints," he said in Kanpur.

Reacting to the criticism of his government by Congress leaders, Yadav said: "The Congress is not clear whether it has to fight the BJP in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan or the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh."

"We are supporting the Congress-led government at Centre just to prevent communal forces from coming into power," he said.