Congress dismisses talk about fielding Kejriwal as common candidate against Modi

Congress dismissed talk about backing Arvind Kejriwal as a combined candidate against Narendra Modi from Varanasi, saying it would make its own choice and decision.

Bangalore: Congress on Tuesday dismissed the talk about backing Arvind Kejriwal as a combined candidate against BJP`s prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi from Varanasi, saying it would make its own choice and decision.

"I must admire your power of imagination. Very fertile and febrile. I am sorry to disappoint you that whatever your reliable sources are for this information, certainly I have nothing of the sort," Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told a questioner at a press conference here. Singhvi was asked about the AAP leader declaring his readiness to fight Modi from Varanasi if people there approved it and whether Congress was amenable to the idea of backing him as a common candidate against the Gujarat Chief Minister. "Let me tell you there is no reason for me to comment on the war of words between Modi and Kejriwal. Congress is a 125- year-old all India party. We will make our choices and decisions in accordance with our philosophy and thinking for each area and each constituency. You will know that soon," he said. At a rally here on Sunday, Kejriwal had declared he was ready to take on Modi from Varanasi but put a rider that it hinges on the response at a rally there on March 23. Asked why some ministers were hesitant to contest the Lok Sabha polls if the UPA government`s achievements were as good as claimed by it, Singhvi said "first of all, I do not know which particular ministers you are talking about and what is the reason. The two are unrelated issues." He said "these records are not based on who is contesting from where and whether an individual is losing or winning..... remarkable figures (about UPA`s achievements). The competition is between UPA one and UPA two, not between UPA one and NDA." Accusing Modi of presenting figures to show a "dismal" picture about UPA and to project that it is losing elections, he said "I think he is taking the people of india for granted. I think he is insulting their intelligence. I think he thinks everybody eats grass and he only eats food".