Doors of UPA open for new allies post-poll, says Khurshid

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Saturday said the doors of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance are open for new allies in the post-poll scenario and the party is on its way to form the UPA-3 government at the Centre. The electoral performance of the Congress will be beyond the expectation of many people in this election, he claimed.

"After four phases of polling, I can confidently say that the Congress-led UPA will form the next government at the Centre. The people of this country are fed up with the BJP government," Khurshid told reporters. To a question if the doors of the Congress will be open for the Trinamool Congress after the polls, he said the question cannot be answered in the present scenario "but the doors of the UPA will remain open for new allies." On whether or not the Congress will match its 2009 election performance nationally, when it had secured 205 seats, Khurshid said he has no doubt that the party can do it.

The UPA-1 and UPA-2 governments were formed in 2004 and 2009 respectively and the BJP-led NDA came to power in the 2014 election. The former Union minister, who has been the chief of the Congress' Uttar Pradesh unit twice in the past, said he will not be surprised if the party matches or betters its 2009 performance in UP when it won 21 seats..