Cong weighs options to strengthen party in UP
THE UPCC’S FUNCTIONING HAS VIRTUALLY COME TO A STOP FOR OVER A MONTH
LUCKNOW: The Congress appears to be working on three options to strengthen the party organisation in the state after it won just two seats in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
The options include a new Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) under a senior leader as the state unit chief (as has been functioning traditionally over the years), appointing four to five working presidents, along with the UPCC chief, or have three separate and independent state organisation units for west UP, Bundelkhand and Kanpur divisions and east UP with the Awadh region.
It remains to be seen whether the Congress high command works in accordance with the wishes of the party cadres and makes any noticeable change while weighing the options to gear up the party organisation for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has discussed these three options with senior state leaders. She may hold further discussions and take a call. She will send one of the three proposals to Congress president Sonia Gandhi for approval and the party may make an announcement in this regard probably by the next month,” said a senior Congress functionary.
“Various names being discussed for appointment on the party chief’s post include senior leaders and former Rajya Sabha MPs PL Punia and Pramod Tiwari, Acharya Pramod Krishnam, former UPCC president and former MP Nirmal Khatri and party leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui,” said the functionary.
The UPCC’s functioning has virtually come to a stop for over a month following the resignation of the state unit chief Ajay Kumar ‘Lallu’ on March 15.
He was asked to resign along with others following the party’s defeat in the 2022 assembly polls.
He was installed as the chief of the revamped UPCC in October 2019 with much fanfare. The UPCC was revamped to give a new look to the party after the Congress’ debacle in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had taken a personal interest in the revamping exercise and opposition by the party veterans to the installation of the new team was dealt with a firm hand.