Congress' Varanasi show a 'return of favour' to SP: BJP

New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday claimed Congress is trying to "return the favour" to Samajwadi Party by working to cut into anti-incumbency votes in the state, hours after Congress chief Sonia Gandhi led a roadshow in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency Varanasi.

BJP's national secretary Shrikant Sharma claimed in a press conference that it was due to the support of state's ruling Samajwadi Party that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi could win Amethi seat in the Lok Sabha elections.

"Congress owes Rahul Gandhi's win to Samajwadi Party. Now it is trying to return the favour to it by trying to cut into anti-incumbency votes in the state. It is doing so to support SP," he said.

Congress has picked former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit as its chief ministerial candidate for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in an apparent attempt to win over the sizable Brahmin votes, whom BJP considers as its core support base.