Lucknow, June 23 (IANS) The Congress will stage state-wide demonstrations Thursday to protest against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s move to bar political parties from the forthcoming elections to civic bodies and panchayati raj institutions.

According to Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) spokesman Subodh Srivastava: ‘Congress activists will stage demonstrations at each of the 70 district headquarters in the state tomorrow (Thursday) to press the party’s demand for immediate withdrawal of the Mayawati government’s decision to hold the local bodies elections sans political parties.’

He said: ‘We are also going to submit a memorandum to the state governor seeking his intervention in the matter; the decision taken by the Mayawati government was in utter violation of the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendment and therefore unconstitutional from the beginning.’