The Congress on Monday announced that it will contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh civic elections alone and not in alliance with any other party, ANI reported. It had tied up with the Samajwadi Party for the state Assembly elections held in February-March and won only seven of the 403 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party had won from 312 constituencies.

Uttar Pradesh Congress President Raj Babbar said the decision to go it alone was made after detailed discussions with state party leaders and workers. “Keeping in mind the suggestions of party leaders and local party workers, the Congress has decided to contest the local body elections alone in Uttar Pradesh,” Babbar told ANI.

The Uttar Pradesh civic elections are likely to be held in June.

A large number of Congress leaders had blamed the alliance with the Samajwadi Party for its drubbing in the Assembly polls. In a meeting on Saturday, Congress candidates who had lost the elections had urged party leaders to contest the upcoming civic polls alone and rebuild the cadre. At a post-poll review attended by All India Congress Committee General Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad, the candidates had demanded strict action against those who had indulged in indiscipline during the elections.

Babbar himself had offered to resign as the state party chief after the results were declared on March 11. “Our national president gave us so much time, and even after that, we were not able to bring good results,” he had said.