Cong may not contest in some UP seats: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Senior Congress leader and in-charge of the party's Uttar Pradesh affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said that while the party prepares to fight in all 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state, it may leave out some seats from contesting.

"We may leave out some places, but we will prepare for all 80 seats. It is possible four or five are left out," he told media here.

Azad, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, also dismissed the possibility of a tie-up with any political party for the General elections. "No, we are not discussing (a tie-up) with anyone," Azad said.

"We will wrap up the (strategy) meetings for all the districts in the state today. Preparations are underway in full swing. There is the possibility of give and take in a few seats, but we are preparing for all seats," Azad said.

When asked to comment on the decision by SP-BSP alliance not to contest from Amethi and Rae Bareli, two traditional Congress strongholds, Azad said: "They haven't contested from those seats in earlier elections as well, we can also leave out a few seats for them if need be".

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is a three-time incumbent MP from Amethi, and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has been elected to the Lok Sabha three times from Rae Bareli.

After being snubbed by the SP and the BSP for an alliance in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress on January 13 announced to contest all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh on its own in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and aim to emerge as the single largest party, like in 2009 General elections.

The Congress had won just two seats with a 7.5 per cent vote share in the 2014 General elections.