Beni Prasad Verma adamant on Congress-BSP tie up

Lucknow, Mar 5 (ANI): Union Steel Minister and Congress leader Beni Prasad Verma on Monday reiterated his stand of favouring a tie-up with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), saying democracy has always been hurt whenever the Samajwadi Party (SP) had come into power.

Describing Samajwadi Party to be a 'party of goons', he said: "The democracy has been hurt whenever the Samajwadi Party (SP) came into power. The others do not do very good, but they do not hurt the democracy."

Verma had earlier on Sunday said that the Congress should forge an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), as BSP chief Mayawati was thousand times better than Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Congress Party had, however, played down Verma's comment, saying it was his personal opinion.

Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said it was Verma's personal comment and the party high command would take decision after the elections result was announced on March 6.

"Whatever Beni Prasad has said is his personal opinion. We should wait till March 6 for the people's verdict to come out. The Congress Party's high command and Congress Party's leadership will, taking into consideration all the situations, will take a decision. We expect that verdict will be in the Congress' favour," Alvi told the media in New Delhi on Sunday.

The Uttar Pradesh polls are being viewed as an opportunity for major political parties to re-establish their foothold in the country's fifth largest and most populous state.

A new 403-member state assembly will be elected in March.

The poll results will broadly indicate trends for the 2014 general elections. (ANI)