Congress is fighting a battle to lose: Smriti Irani

Amethi: The Congress party in Uttar Pradesh is fighting a battle to lose, says Union Minister Smriti Irani, as the battle of ballots intensifies in India's politically most important state where 80 Lok Sabha seats are up for grab.

"The Congress party in Uttar Pradesh is fighting a battle to lose. I am sure of my win. This will be a victory for the people of Amethi," Union Minister Irani told Smita Prakash, ANI in an exclusive interview.

"I am a normal party worker, even though I have been working for the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We gave a chase to the Congress president that he had to run even after the SP and the BSP pledged support on the seat," she said.

"It was the first time that party workers of a political outfit had to ask their chief to look out for another seat, as they felt Amethi was not a secure seat anymore. That tells you how good is the atmosphere for the BJP. This is not a fight against the BJP and the Congress. It is a genuine fight between the people and a 'lapata saansad' (missing parliamentarian). He was absent for five years and even during the campaign. He also did not speak about Amethi in the Parliament," she added.

Irani's statement comes close on the heels of Congress general secretary east UP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's statement on Wednesday in Raebareli where she had said that her party had fielded some candidates in UP with an aim to cut into the BJP's vote share.

"Congress will win on the seats where our candidates are strong. Where our candidates are slightly lightweight, they will cut into the BJP's vote share," she had told media persons.

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav has also dismissed Priyanka's statement as an "excuse" since the "people are not with them." "I cannot believe in these types of statements. I do not believe that the Congress has fielded weak candidates anywhere. No party does it. People are not with them. That is why they are making excuses," Yadav told ANI in an exclusive interview.

In Uttar Pradesh, where 80 Lok Sabha seats are up for grab, SP is contesting 37 seats, BSP 38, and their ally – RLD – three seats. They have not fielded candidates from Amethi and Raebareli from where Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are seeking their re-election.

So far 39 Lok Sabha seats have gone to polls in the state, while remaining 41 will go to polls during the remaining three phases of the polling, the last phase of voting on May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.