Brain storming for revival of Cong in UP

New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) After the poll loss, Congress general secretary in charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has met the party leaders for three days in a row to devise strategy to revive the party in Uttar Pradesh ahead of Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress could manage only over 2 per cent votes and two seats in the Uttar Pradesh polls and the task ahead is tough so Priyanka Gandhi has tried to prepare a blue print for it, sources said.

UP has 80, the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats in which Congress has only one MP from the state, while the BJP and it allies have around 64 MPs.

As per the sources, after Ajay Kumar Lallu's resignation, the party is shortlisting names for the state president too and Gandhi met veterans like Pramod Tiwari and two newly elected MLAs individually, besides other leaders.

The Congress has faced a massive loss in all the five states though Priyanka tried hard to make the party relevant but failed to garner enough support.

The Congress workers from across Uttar Pradesh are upset with the style of the party functionaries and want surgery in the state. "We want to tell our leaders that all is not lost and if the right people are asked to lead UP, we have hopes for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Priyanka ji has been misled by a coterie that does not have the Congress DNA and is working for vested interests," said expelled Congress leader Konark Dixit, who is leading the campaign.

"If we want to resurrect the party before the general elections, we need to change the system of working. We are not rising in revolt but we need to discuss certain issues with the party leadership," he said.

"The recent Assembly election results of five states are a cause of serious concern for the Indian National Congress. The party accepts that due to shortcomings in our strategy, we could not effectively expose the misrule of the BJP state governments in four states and overcome the anti-incumbency in the state of Punjab in the short time after effecting a change of leadership," said the CWC resolution.

It said that the Congress "represents the hopes of millions of Indians against political

authoritarianism prevailing in the country today and the party is fully conscious of its immense responsibility."