LUCKNOW: On a mission to rebuild the grand old party in Uttar Pradesh ahead of 2022 assembly polls, Congress national general-secretary announced on Sunday that she would camp in the state only from next month to ensure that the party organization is revived up to the last possible village.
In an informal chat with journalists at ex-minister and former BSP leader Nasimuddin Siddiqui's residence in Lucknow, the Congress leader admitted that the party organization had become weak, but proactive efforts were underway to bring the organization back to life across the state. She said efforts are on to ensure that every village has at least 5-6 dedicated Congress workers.
When queried by journalists about the possibility of Congress aligning with other parties to defeat BJP, Priyanka said, “we’re not close minded on the issue, but any step would only be taken keeping in mind that the interests and organization of our party aren’t compromised. It would be too early to say anything about future tie-ups, but nothing would be done at the cost of our party organization.”
She also reportedly said that former MPs and MLAs are welcome to contest the 2022 polls in the state.
According to a senior Congress leader and former MLA from East UP (who didn’t want to be named), “Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s three day visit is just a start of her well laid plans to revive the party and make it a major force against ruling BJP in the 2022 polls. Unlike Rahul Gandhi, who wasn’t totally accessible to us, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is much more accessible. She has told us to stay in touch directly with her. She came to Lucknow on Friday after doing her homework very well about UP politics up to micro level and is in an aggressive mood to defeat the BJP. She has told us that the prime enemy of Congress and people of state is BJP.”
The Congress's political graph in UP has been continuously nose-diving. The party which won 269 seats in 1985 assembly polls and 94 seats in 1989 polls, has since then failed to even cross the 50 seats mark in successive assembly polls in the state. In 2017 polls, the party, despite being in alliance with the then ruling Samajwadi Party, came up with its worst performance by winning just 7 seats.