The Congress in Uttar Pradesh will not contest the upcoming by-elections in Mainpuri and Khatauli but will focus on forthcoming elections to urban local bodies in Uttar Pradesh.

According to UPCC president Brijlal Khabri, "We do not have time to contest the by-elections. We have urban local bodies elections ahead."

The by-election to Mainpuri Lok Sabha and Khatauli Assembly seats is scheduled for December 5.

The Mainpuri by-election has been necessitated by the death of Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on October 10.

The Khatauli seat fell vacant after BJP MLA Vikram Saini was disqualified following his conviction in the Muzaffarnagar riots case.

Khabri said, "We suffered a lot in the panchayat elections. Under all circumstances, they (BJP) want to turn the situation in their favour. We are ready to fight. We are getting ready for elections to urban local bodies. These by-elections could have been held later. But the by-elections are being held to affect the elections to urban local bodies."

Asked whether the Congress was exploring options for an alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Khabri said the party leadership would take a call on the issue, if needed.

"We are preparing for the polls. We are getting ready at the grassroots levels. We will give surprising results," he said.

Khabri said the BJP, the SP, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) were hand in glove with one another. This was the main reason that the SP and the BSP were not raising any issues of public concern in the state, he alleged.