Cong will not cut into UP gathbandhan's vote, will damage BJP: Priyanka Gandhi

Salon: The Congress is not at all cutting into votes of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh as the party has fielded candidates either with prospects of victory or having potential to damage BJP's chances in the state, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Wednesday.

Asked whether she was afraid of contesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi, Priyanka said she was not scared at all and that she joined politics "for good". "If Priyanka Gandhi gets scared, she will sit at home and not do politics. I am in politics for good and will be there," she said.

The Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh also hit out at the BJP for what she called its "obsession" with the Gandhi family when the focus should be on solving people's problems.

On the political landscape in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka said, "We have carefully chosen candidates so that either Congress wins or they cut into BJP's votes. Congress is not at all cutting into votes of the 'UP gathbandhan'."

Priyanka was talking to the media during her campaign trail in Amethi where her brother Rahul Gandhi is seeking re-election. Asked whether Rahul Gandhi will become the prime minister, Priyanka said, "My brother will prove to be a good prime minister. Whether he will become the prime minister or not, the public has to decide."

The Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) forged an alliance months before the Lok Sabha polls, but kept out the Congress as there was no agreement on seat-sharing. According to political observers, the anti-BJP vote could get split between the Congress and the UP alliance, benefitting BJP.