Deshmukh wants Cong to replicate UP success in Maha

Refusing to react on the issue of the continuing electoral pact with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the coming assembly elections in Maharastra, Union minister for heavy industries, Vilasrao Deshmukh, today said he wanted the Congress to try and
replicate the party's performance in Uttar Pradesh.

"Our young leader, Rahul Gandhi, did this in Uttar Pradesh and succeeded to some extent in Bihar too", Deshmukh, who has been pushing for the party going it alone in his home state banking on the performance of the party-led government, told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Declining to share his views on whether the party should continue its alliance with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, he said, "the matter is with the party high command. It will
take a decision. But my stand is known to everybody".

There was no anti-incumbency for the Congress government in Maharastra as it has performed well in the last 10 years, and large sections of people, including SCs, STs
and farmers are happy, he said.

Deshmukh, a former Maharashtra chief minister, claimed people would favour the Congress in the light of "developments that swept through BJP and its ally Shiv Sena".

"If the party fights the poll on its own, it can accommodate more people and help strengthen the party", he added.