Congress exudes confidence of winning 100 seats in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: Senior Congress leader Pradeep Mathur on Saturday exuded confidence that the grand old party would win 100 seats in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, saying miracles do happen in politics. Mathur said a majority of Congress workers want the party's national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to be the face of the organisation in the upcoming polls as they see a glimpse of former prime minister Indira Gandhi in her.

"If everything goes well (in the UP Assembly polls), we think that we will get 100 seats," the senior Congress leader told PTI here. When asked as to whether the claims made by him are a bit unrealistic, as he is talking about jumping from the current tally of seven seats to triple digits, he said, "When the BJP can increase its tally from two to a majority, then why not the Congress. What I am saying is absolutely realistic and when Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will come to UP, this could be easily achieved."

He said the 12,000 km-long yatra announced by the party ahead of the election will motivate party workers. "Miracles do happen in politics and the Congress can form the government in the state. Either the Congress will form the government in the state or without the Congress, no government will be formed," said the former Congress legislative party leader in the UP Assembly.

Hitting out at the central government over the rise in fuel prices, he said when the BJP was in opposition, it used to say that it would sell petrol and diesel at Rs 30 per litre but now the prices of petrol and diesel touch almost Rs 100 per litre. Mathur slammed the BJP for its repeated attacks against the Congress's UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi.

"It has become the habit of the BJP high command that whenever a senior leader of the Congress comes to Lucknow they become fearful because they know the Congress is the only party, which can give a befitting reply to the BJP. It is for this reason that they try to make absurd remarks against Priyanka Gandhi," he said. Mathur claimed that the people of the state are frustrated with the BJP government and are mulling to give mandate to the Congress in the next year's elections.

"There was mismanagement during the second wave of the Covid pandemic. How can people forget about the death of their near and dear ones during the second wave?" the Congress leader said. Expressing concern over the high number of fatalities due to dengue and viral fever in Firozabad, he said a special session of the UP Legislative Assembly should be convened to discuss the situation there.

According to government records, 57 people, mostly children, have so far died due to the diseases, while 404 people are still undergoing treatment in the medical college hospital here. (PTI)