No Party Fields Weak Candidates, Priyanka's Claim An 'Excuse', Says Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav has said that Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's statement about fielding candidates who would just eat into BJP's vote base was a mere "excuse" since the "people are not with them".

"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," Akhilesh told ANI.

Priyanka had on Wednesday said that her party had fielded candidates strategically in UP, the state which sends 80 members to the parliament.

"Congress will win on the seats where our candidates are strong. Where our candidates are slightly lightweight, they will cut into BJP's vote share," she told media persons.

Rubbishing the claims that the SP-BSP alliance was the 'B team' of the Congress, former UP chief minister said there was no difference between the BJP and the grand old party.

"The Congress wants to benefit the BJP," he said.

"Who taught the central agencies to intimidate Opposition leaders? The BJP has learnt to misuse the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and other agencies against leaders in opposition from the Congress," he said.

"The person who filed PILs against Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and me was present at the nomination of Lucknow Congress candidate," he said.

Rejecting Congress President Rahul Gandhi's allegations that theBJP possessed the remote control of the coalition, Akhilesh said: "No one controls us. We are political parties."

"It is the SP, BSP and RLD alliance in UP that is poised to give a setback to the ruling party."

"Our alliance will stop the bad policies of the BJP," he said.

(With inputs from ANI)