Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Tuesday claimed that the Congress is emerging as the "viable option" in Uttar Pradesh as people wanted a real change, and "not more of the same" from the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
Speaking of his party that won just seven assembly seats in the state in 2017, the Rajasthan leader said, "We will spring a surprise in the upcoming elections in UP."
The former Rajasthan deputy chief minister said though the party has not declared a Chief Minister face for UP as part of its current practice, AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will lead the party from the front.
Asked why he is underestimating the SP and the BSP, Mr Pilot said, "Both the parties have been in and out of power for the last 20-30 years. But increasingly people are of the opinion that they need a real change and not more of the same."
"The last parliamentary elections exposed the superficial support the BSP and the SP gave each other. And as the principal opposition, the SP could have been more active and more visible on the ground. The last minute surge, I don't think will be enough."
He claimed that the Congress is providing a real challenge to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the state which goes to the polls early next year.
"Even though we are a much smaller party in UP, the Congress has been far more vocal about opposing (Chief Minister) Yogi Adityanath and the BJP government."
About the possibility of a united opposition at the national level in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, he said, "The only political party that has the capacity and bandwidth to give a real challenge and defeat the BJP is the Congress. No other single party in India would be able to do it."
The 44-year-old MLA from Tonk in Rajasthan, who is caught in a power tussle within the Congress in his home state, dismissed reports of his strained relation with CM Ashok Gehlot.
"I feel the Congress party is well-placed, and our efforts will yield good fruits for us in UP. But what is more important, is for the people to see who is the most viable option that people need to support against the BJP, and I think Congress is fast emerging as that viable option," he said.
On Priyanka Gandhi's role in UP, he said, "She is the general secretary and in-charge of UP. As is evident and as everybody else has been saying, she is going to be leading from the front. We work as a team," Mr Pilot said.
"I think Priyanka ji's rallies in Varanasi and Gorakhpur were a very clear indication of which type of government the people are looking for," he added.
He said the issues taken up by the party - atrocities on women, Dalits, farmers, police actions - have been appreciated by the people.
He dismissed the BJP claim that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are "political tourists", claiming that the ruling party is saying this only because it is desperate.
"Levelling allegations is very easy. I am sure it was an unpleasant surprise for the BJP when they saw a large number of people turning up in Gorakhpur and Varanasi. This shows that people are looking towards Priyanka Gandhi with hope," he said.
Asked if the Congress will make it to the double digits from the seven MLAs now in the 403-seat House, he said such predictions and calculations can be made closer to the polls.
"But we are increasing our support base, our organisational capacity and the Partigya Yatras across UP are getting good momentum," he said.
"I do feel that we will be surprisingly much bigger and better than anyone ever projected. But let's wait for the elections to be declared. Preparation wise, we are far ahead than others."
Asked which party posed the biggest challenge for the Congress in UP, Mr Pilot said, "Our challenge is to change this non-performing government. Of course, our fight is with the BJP, which is ruling UP."
The Congress has already announced that it would not enter into an alliance with any big party in UP.
Attacking the BJP over the farmers' protests, now on for nearly a year, he asked why the BJP government at the Centre can't negotiate with the protesters and withdraw the agri laws.
"There is a lot of ego and vested interests, and they are now doing everything they can to isolate the farmers," he claimed.
On the recent violence in Lakhimpuri Kheri, he referred to the farmers' demand for the resignation of Union minister Ajay Mishra, whose son Ashish is among those arrested.
"How can an unbiased inquiry take place when the minister continues," he said.
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