Who is Prashant Kishor to discuss alliance, asks UPCC chief Raj Babbar

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Raj Babbar strongly denied report that the party’s political strategist Prashant Kishor had discussed alliance or grand alliance proposal with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav or any other party leader.

“The Congress itself is a grand alliance (sic).It does not need any alliance with any political party”, Babbar said here on Thursday ,with reference to a newspaper report on grand alliance of non-BJP parties.

The state congress chief went a step ahead and pointed out that to his best of knowledge no body had authorised him to discuss the proposal with any party. “ Nobody has authorised him . How can he talk on party’s behalf without proper authorisation”.

He shared with media persons the information of his meeting with party’s state incharge, Ghulam Nabi Azad. “I was with him for almost four hours discussing various issues concerning the party. He too did not talk about any alliance with any party or parties”.

The Samajwadi Party, it may be recalled, has proposed to form a grand alliance with like-minded parties to defeat the BJP during the coming election in the state. The proposal may be discussed further on November 5 when leaders of some of the parties come to Lucknow to attend the party’s silver jubilee bash. No Congress leader has been invited to the function.