Priyanka puts three options before Sonia Gandhi to revive Congress in UP: Report

AICC general secretary and party’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in consultation with the state leadership, has zeroed in on three options for the revival of the grand old party in UP, says The New Indian Express report.

Quoting highly placed sources of the party unit in UP, the report says that Priyanka has put the three suggestions before party national president Sonia Gandhi for her perusal and necessary action.

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The Congress has been consistently losing ground in Uttar Pradesh since the 2012 Assembly elections when it had won 28 seats with 11.63 per cent vote share. In 2017, its tally came down to seven seats with 6.56 per cent vote share, while in recent polls, its seats were reduced to two with a vote share of just 2.33 per cent.

The three options

The first option, as per sources, is the re-constitution of the Congress Committee under the stewardship of some senior leader as has been the practice so far, says the report.

The second option, which Priyanka is believed to have thrashed out, is the appointment of four-five working presidents under the leadership of the state president who can look after the revival of the party organisation from the grassroots, it adds.

Under the third option, the party would divide the state into four independent zones — Western UP, Eastern UP, Awadh and Bundelkhand — and set up independent committees for all four zones, The New Indian Express report says.

The report quoted a senior Congress leader as saying that Priyanka discussed the options with state leaders and office bearers before sending them for Sonia Gandhi’s perusal. A decision is expected in the coming month, he added.

After defeat of 2022, Ajay Kumar Lallu quit as the then UP Congress Committee chief and the day-to-day activities of the party are now being looked after by senior general secretary Dinesh Singh.

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