NEW DELHI: Stating that the victory of Congress president Sonia Gandhi by a thumping margin in the Rae Bareli by-poll was a victory for value-based politics, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ram Babu Sharma said the Bharatiya Janata Party and those who had joined hands with them to take on Ms. Gandhi had been given a befitting reply by the people of Uttar Pradesh.

In a statement here, Mr. Sharma said it had been proved that the electorate had endorsed the sacrifice made by the Congress president.

It had also been proved that there was no alternative to the Congress party that had provided leadership to the country since Independence.

Senior Congress MLAs Mahabal Mishra, Bhisham Sharma and Jile Singh Chauhan stated that Ms. Gandhi's huge win from Rae Bareli had exposed the hallow claims of the Opposition that had launched a bitter campaign against the Congress president in the run-up to the polls.

This victory will go a long way in reviving the electoral fortunes of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh where Assembly polls are due next year, Mr. Mishra added.

Mr. Mishra also welcomed the Bill being introduced by the Union Government to put an end to the sealing and demolition exercise in the Capital. Mr. Mishra said credit should be given to Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy and Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken for having come out with this comprehensive legislation that not only aims at providing a solution to the issue of sealing and demolition but also for the first time addresses the concern of the urban poor including hawkers and vendors who had been discriminated against the policy makers and planners in the past.

Another senior Congress leader, Bansi Lal Mehta said the decision to introduce the Bill on demolitions and sealing was a welcome move. Mr. Mehta, who had made submissions to the Tejinder Khanna Committee as well as to Ms. Gandhi on the issue, said that it was time that planners realised that the old and anarchic laws have to change with the changing times.

He said that a holistic view should be taken of the whole situation and added that everything along the Metro Rail line should come under mixed land use or fully commercial use.

He felt that it was time that the Government came out with a strong law to tackle the menace unleashed by the land mafia.

The Youth Congress president Ashok Tanwar also met Ms. Gandhi this afternoon and congratulated her on tremendous victory in the bye-election.

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