New Delhi, Oct 18 (IANS): Former MP and Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Friday expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc will put up a good performance in the upcoming by-elections in Uttar Pradesh with both the state Congress and Samajwadi Party taking a collective decision on seat-sharing.

By-elections are scheduled to be held in nine Assembly seats in UP on November 13 and the results will be declared on November 23.

Asked about the SP’s reported offer to give just two seats to the Congress, Dikshit told IANS that the decision on seat-sharing would be taken by the Congress High Command, the UP Congress Committee and the SP.

“The coalition partners will have to discuss and arrive at a decision on the basis of each other’s strengths in different constituencies where the by-elections are being held,” he said.

“I am sure good decisions would be taken and the India bloc would win,” he said.

Talking about the deteriorating air quality in Delhi, he said it was not surprising that the situation has been bad for the past seven to eight years.

“Just because of a non-performing and corrupt AAP government in the city, people are forced to breathe toxic air which, doctors claim, reduces their life span by 6 to 7 years,” he said.

Dikshit said the AAP government’s excuse of blaming stubble-burning in neighbouring states for Delhi’s pollution has been exposed as the air has become toxic these days even before farmers resort to crop burning.

“Weren’t farmers burning stubble when the Congress was in power in Delhi?,” he asked, blaming the AAP for inaction over fighting air pollution.

The difference between the Congress rule and the AAP government is that the previous government took responsibility and worked closely with other stakeholders to find a solution to air pollution but the AAP government only looks to run away from responsibility, said Dikshit, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit who headed the city government for 15 years.

Dikshit also hit out at the "failed attempt" by the AAP government to set up smog towers as an attempt to distract public attention and to make money through corruption.

The former East Delhi MP also slammed the AAP government for the poor state of roads in Delhi alleging massive corruption in the Public Works Department.

He said potholes in roads were also adding to air pollution as these throw up dust particles and slow down traffic, increasing vehicular emissions.

Alleging massive corruption in the AAP-ruled civic agency, Dikshit said illegal construction across the city was also adding to air pollution and suspension of dust particles in the air as construction waste was not being disposed of properly.