After BSP supremo’s rebuff to Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leadership on Sunday reiterated that it had approached Mayawati with a proposal for an alliance for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls under her leadership and that she didn’t respond.

This time, AICC fielded leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, who belongs to the Dalit community, to respond to the BSP chief. “The Congress, under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi Ji, fought the Uttar Pradesh elections with all its might. The Congress wanted the BJP, which under the intoxication of power, has been perpetuating atrocities against ordinary people especially women, Dalits, minority sections and weaker sections, to be stopped and the party put in all efforts for that. The Congress had urged Mayawati Ji to align with the Congress and to lead the coalition against the BJP. But she could not do it for whatever reasons. Rahul Gandhi Ji only stated this fact on Saturday,” he said.

AICC ensured that Kharge didn’t face an interactive press conference but made his comments in the form of a video statement from a prepared text to a news agency, which then the party circulated to the media.

Kharge, who could not host the LoP’s customary floor coordination meetings with leaders of other opposition parties during the budget session of Parliament due to larger rifts in the opposition, added: “The people are now struggling due to inflation and unemployment. Constitutional institutions are being taken over by the RSS. In these circumstances, what will happen to our democracy and Baba Sahib’s Constitution? In this fight against the BJP, all Opposition parties should come together”.