Deoria, Apr 24: Contending that Uttar Pradesh lagged behind other states in almost every field, Congress president Sonia Gandhi today said successive non-Congress regimes divided the state along caste lines to serve their vested interests instead of paying attention towards development.
"There was a time when Uttar Pradesh was a model state and leaders from here were accorded great respect... The Ganga-Yamuna (mixed) culture of the state was the role model but now the situation has changed," she said, while addressing an election meeting at Salempur near here.
Sonia alleged successive non-Congress regimes divided the state on caste lines to serve their interests.

Attacking the BJP, she said, "A party which could drag even Lord Rama in the battle for power cannot be expected to spare common folk."


She alleged political values and ethics had taken a severe hammering in the NDA rule which also failed to provide jobs to one-crore unemployed youth as promised.

Besides, a number of public sector units were sold at throwaway prices rendering several people unemployed, she alleged.


Sonia claimed only Congress could ensure development of the state and appealed to people to vote for it in the crucial Lok Sabha polls which would determine the future of the country.

Bureau Report