India Against Corruption leader Anna Hazare, who led India's largest street protests against corruption in decades, said on Tuesday he plans a hunger strike against the ruling Congress party during state elections in Uttar Pradesh next year if the anti-graft Jan Lokpal Bill is not quickly passed.

Millions of mainly middle class Indians supported a near two-week fast in August by veteran self-styled Gandhian campaigner, forcing the UPA government to bow to many of his demands for tougher laws to fight graft. The 74-year-old Hazare said he would campaign against Congress before the polls in Uttar Pradesh if the government does not approve his anti-graft proposals. The state elections are a stepping-stone before the general election in 2014 and a major test for possible prime ministerial candidate Rahul Gandhi, the emerging leader from India's most famous family dynasty who is personally leading the Uttar Pradesh vote campaign.

Several states go to the polls next year in a series of challenges for the ruling coalition led by the Congress party, the popularity of which has plunged on anger at the government's inability to crack down on endemic corruption. Hazare said he will also lead a series of political rallies against the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh, home to about 200 million people, if the bill is not passed in the winter session, due to start in November. He said he will change his anti-Congress party stance if the bill is passed. After his last hunger strike, the government partially agreed to Hazare's demand that an anti-corruption agency should have the power to investigate the prime minister, judges and civil servants.