Priyanka to join Rahul in UP road show on Feb. 11
■ Cong president to end nepotism in party
The Congress on Thursday decided that the party would complete the process of candidate selection for the Lok Sabha polls by the end of this month and no MLA or sitting MP from Rajya Sabha would contest Lok Sabha elections. It also announced that party president Rahul, along with newly- inducted general secretaries of Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Jyotiraditya Scindia, would hold a roadshow in Lucknow on February 11 — their first visit to the state after taking charge.
Sources told this newsppaper that the Congress president has also directed the party that no MLA or sitting MP from Rajya Sabha or relatives of any party MPs should be considered for Lok Sabha election during the selection process.
The decisions were taken at a meeting of Congress general secretaries and in- charges of various states which was called to kick- start preparations for the Lok Sabha polls. The high point of the meeting was Ms Vadra, who had taken charge as AICC general secretary in- charge of the party’s affairs in Uttar Pradesh East on Wednesday at the AICC office.
Minutes after the meeting was over, Mr Gandhi tweeted: “I met with our AICC General Secretaries and State in- charges at the AICC HQ this evening. Our discussions covered a wide range of subjects. The team is match ready and we will play on the front foot.”
After the meeting General Secretary ( Organisation) K. C. Venugopal said: “The Congress president along with Party General Secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Jyotiraditya Scindia would hold a mega road show from the Airport to the Congress office in Lucknow and after that they would interact with people for the next two days on Feb 12- 13.”
Mr Venugopal also said that the party has decided that youth and experience would be given equal importance while candidate selection and women and other section who find it difficult to enter Parliament would also be preferred.
Randeep Singh Surjewala, chief spokesperson of the party added that candidates who have lost two to three times would now will have to make way for new people.