Congress to improve its tally in a couple of states, says Mohan Prakash

Downplays pre-poll surveys and attacks BJP for its Congress bashing

Undeterred by pre-poll surveys predicting a debacle for the Congress party in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Congress Working Committee member and party general secretary Mohan Prakash put up a brave face on Friday, stating that the Congress would in fact improve its tally in Maharashtra, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Jharkhand.

He was speaking after he flagged off six campaign raths (chariots) specially prepared by Congress MP Gurudas Kamat in his north west Mumbai Lok Sabha constituency.

“In Maharashtra, the 26:22 seat-sharing formula with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has already been finalised. Besides, the party is in the midst of working out a pre-poll alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Lok Janashakti Party in Bihar. There are pre and post-poll alliances and the Congress will be able to bring more parties into the UPA,” Prakash said.

As far as Maharashtra was concerned, Prakash said there would be a status quo on seats to be contested by the Congress and the NCP on the lines of the 2009 polls (Congress 26 and NCP 22). “One or two seats might be exchanged but it is yet to be discussed,” added Prakash.

On NCP chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's much-debated meeting with Modi and his chances to join the NDA after the elections, Prakash referred to Pawar's denial in this regard.

“Nobody should question Pawar's pro-secular stand. On top of it, where is the space for Pawar in the Maha Yuti  (grand alliance) formed by the BJP, Shiv Sena, Republican Party of India and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana  especially in Maharashtra?,” he noted.

Prakash took a swipe against the campaign launched by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), especially its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi against the Congress, saying the the party was unmoved by their attack.

“'The party will swiftly reply to the BJP campaign but is committed to the progress of the country. Tell me what Modi has to offer to speed up growth and improve the economy. He has been silent on these crucial issues,” Prakash told Business Standard.