In Rae Bareli, tacit SP-Congress understanding on display

Rae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh), May 2 (ANI): Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday during her election campaigning here, addressed a public rally that was attended by a large number of Samajwadi Party workers, hinting at a tacit understanding between the two parties in Uttar Pradesh to defeat the BJP.
The surprising development came in the wake of Priyanka's remarks on Wednesday in which she claimed that Congress has fielded some Lok Sabha candidates in Uttar Pradesh with the aim to cut into the vote share of BJP.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi had in an interview to NDTV reiterated his sister's comment and said:" Wherever we don't have a strong candidate, we are helping the BSP, we are going to harm the BJP. I have told my sister and told Jyotir (Jyotiraditya Sinha) that in places where we are not going to win, we are going to help the gathbandhan. Our primary aim is to defeat the BJP."
However Samajwadi supremo Akhilesh Yadav in an interview to ANI said that he does not believe that the Congress has fielded weak candidates anywhere.
"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 on Wednesday.
BSP supremo Mayawati also slammed Priyanka's remarks stating that if the people vote for the Congress, their vote will get wasted.
Priyanka in a clarification earlier today said that "she would rather die than benefit the BJP."
Meanwhile in today's rally, while addressing the gathering, Priyanka Gandhi thanked the SP for supporting the Congress and helping in the fight against communal forces. The Congress general secretary was welcomed on stage with garlands and bouquets. (ANI)