New Delhi: Rattled over the developments in Uttar Pradesh, Congress on January 28 dismissed claims of a split in its state Legislature party and said it would challenge the "wrong and improper" order of Speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi granting recognition to the breakaway group of Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) as a separate party.

"We will challenge the order of the Speaker," All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ambika Soni and party treasurer Motilal Vora told reporters making a scathing attack on UP Chief Minister Mayawati and her coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "alluring, browbeating and threatening" Congress MLAs.

Condemning the actions of Mayawati, Soni said this "carrot and stick policy was going on for long" as the Chief Minister was "harassing" the MLAs of different political parties for continuing in power.

PTI