http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/16/stories/2007041603521200.htm
Front Page Congress will put Uttar Pradesh back on track: Sonia Gandhi Atiq Khan Accuses non-Congress parties of dividing society on caste, communal lines Blames SP for unleashing the rule of the mafia in the state Accuses Mulayam Singh government of mismanagement of funds BARABANKI: Congress president and United Progressive Alliance chairperson, Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said that Uttar Pradesh had been ruined in the 18 years of non-Congress rule and promised to bring the State back on track under a Congress government. Addressing an election rally at the Government Inter-College Ground here, Ms. Gandhi singled out the Samajwadi Party Government of Mulayam Singh and said it had promised to make "Uttam Pradesh" but had ended up ruining U.P. The Congress president asked the people to not let go the opportunity of reversing the tide of zero development, price rise and casteist and divisive policies pursued by other political parties. Cautions The Congress president cautioned the people of the designs of political parties (Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party), which did not flinch from striking an understanding with communal forces to grab power. Ms. Gandhi accused the non-Congress parties of dividing society on caste and communal lines, adding that if they succeeded in their nefarious designs Uttar Pradesh will never be the same. Ms. Gandhi dismissed the socialism of the Samajwadi Party as "phoney samajwad", and stated that the non-Congress parties had a common minimum programme of misleading the Dalits, minority and majority communities with the sole intention of grabbing power. Without naming the SP, Ms. Gandhi said after assuming power they unleashed the rule of the mafia in the State. Stating that the poor had no voice, the UPA chairperson said no new power plant has come up in the last 15 years with the result there was no electricity and water in the canals as the tube wells were unable to function for want of power. She said the condition of the weavers was equally poor as nothing had been done to revive the sick spinning and weaving mills. Mismanagement Ms. Gandhi charged the Mulayam Government with mismanaging the crores of rupees sent by the UPA Government under central schemes like Mid-day Meal Scheme and National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP). She said the Congress Party and the UPA Government have been blamed for the price rise but actually the State Government was responsible for the rising trend as it had failed to come down on hoarders and profiteers. Ms. Gandhi's election meeting here was held in the backdrop of the Congress' dismal showing in the eight Assembly seats in Barabanki district, about 28 kilometres from Lucknow. Since the 1989 Assembly elections, the Congress has failed to win even a single seat in Barabanki. The party candidate, Imran Kidwai secured only about 4,000 votes from here in the 2004 Lok Sabha election. However, the Congress was hopeful of a turnaround in its electoral fortunes following its understanding with the rebel Samajwadi Party MP, Beni Prasad Verma, who belongs to Barabanki district. Mr. Verma, was not present at Sunday's meeting but is likely to file his nomination papers from Ayodhya Assembly seat in neighbouring Faizabad district. The SP rebel who had formed the Samajwadi Kranti Dal will contest the elections as a Congress-backed candidate.
