Wind in favour of Congress: Priyanka Gandhi

Congress' star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday launched a frontal attack on the BSP government in Uttar Pradesh alleging that it was wasting money on statues and parks even as she said there was a wind of change in favour of the Congress in the state.

Addressing a series of poll meetings here, Priyanka said there is a chance to effect a change in the state after 22 years and sought votes for bringing the Congress to power.

She alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government led by Mayawati was wasting money and parks and not on development.

"Public money is not for leaders, it is for common man. It is not for statues or parks. The UP government has looted the state...It is time to bring in change in Uttar Pradesh after 22 years," Priyanka said.

"Your vote will determine your future for the next five years. Strengthen the hands of Congress and bring it to power," she said.

Campaigning in the twin family pocket boroughs of Amethi and Rae Bareli, Priyanka said that there is a wind in favour of Congress in the state this time.

Accompanied by her two children, Rehan and Miraya, she arrived here this morning to start the next leg of her campaigning in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

"Rahul is touring the state extensively for bringing in a change and he would definitely do it...there is a wind in favour of the Congress this time," she said while addressing a meeting in Karhaiya Bazar area under Salon Assembly constituency in favour of party nominee Shiv Balak Pasi.

Recalling the performance of the non-Congress governments in the past 22 years, Priyanka said that while SP set up goonda raj, BSP developed a handful of its leaders from the development funds at the cost of the state and its people.

"By taking over power in the name of caste and community people have harmed the interests of the state and its people," she said.

"The benefit of the central schemes did not reach you as the government in power was looking after its own interests and benefits," she said, adding that in the past 22 years the non-Congress governments have been busy saving goondas, mafias and the corrupt.

The Congress campaigner said that she was happy that none of her party MLAs have faced charges of murder or corruption whereas others belonging to non-Congress parties have been found involved in it.

Priyanka also mingled with the women present in the meeting on coming down the dais after her address.

She is supposed to address about 20 meetings on Thursday starting from Rasulpur area in Salon constituency, Congress media in-charge Jagdish Piyush had said on Wednesday.