Cong says not seeking comfort with SP due to prickly TMC

New Delhi: A day after it decided not to put up a candidate against Samajwadi Party in Kannauj, Congress today dismissed suggestions that its growing bonhomie with that party was due to prickly allies like Trinamool Congress. “We have complete trust in all our allies. They also have trust in us. There is no question of any misunderstanding” was the refrain of party spokesman Rashid Alvi to a barrage of questions on the issue at the AICC briefing. [caption id=“attachment_334717” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Screengrab: IBN LIVE”]  [/caption] He was asked whether Congress’ decision not to put up a candidate in Kannuj where Dimple Yadav, daughter-in-law of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav is contesting, showed nervousness in its camp following Mamata Banerjee’s party giving signals to go on its own in West Bengal. Brushing aside suggestions that Congress was facing problems from allies, he said “it is a baseless argument that allies are creating trouble for us.” Alvi also saw nothing wrong in NCP chief Sharad Pawar meeting Ramdev on the issue of corruption. He also downplayed the statements of TMC leader Mukul Roy that the civic body results have demonstrated that the party has enough strength to rule West Bengal alone. The DMK had also yesterday backed LK Advani’s suggestion for a collegium to appoint Election Commissioners and CAG was today “We do not give too much importance to such statements. We have full trust in our allies,” Alvi said. The Congress spokesperson also lashed out at the BJP for its attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party President Sonia Gandhi accusing them of running away from the “stark reality” that price rise and corruption in the UPA government had hurt the Congress image. “This kind of statement is unfortunate. To criticise one another on ideological differences is ok but there is no personal enmity in politics. If you criticise, you should not do it going against decorum and decency. “It is unfortunate that a key spokesperson of BJP used such a language that Congress President had not done her homework,” Alvi said. PTI