|
After posting Ajay Rai as the new chief of Uttar Pradesh Congress, the party high command is also likely to replace general secretary incharge Priyanka Gandhi with some veteran leader who can camp here and boost the party’s prospects in the 2024 general elections.
Priyanka will get a bigger responsibility so that she can devote her time to the elections in four states scheduled later this year, and also for the parliamentary elections next year.
Besides, the party will also do away with the zonal president system here in UP and adjust the sitting incharges in the state organisation. Sources said that the changes would be made by the end of this month.
The sources said that after the morale-boosting victory of the Congress in Karnataka, Priyanka showed her willingness to relinquish the responsibility of UP.
A new national general secretary incharge of Uttar Pradesh may be appointed soon and the names of former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat and senior Congress leader Tariq Anwar were being discussed for the crucial position, the sources said.
It is believed that due to her busy schedule for campaigning and strategy meetings for the forthcoming assembly polls in crucial states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, Priyanka has decided to relinquish the responsibility of UP.
It is also believed that Priyanka wants to concentrate more on the national politics and not confine herself to one state. By appointing a new in-charge for the state, the grand old party hopes to work on a new strategy ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Priyanka held around 20 rallies and roadshows in Karnataka while giving a miss to the UP civic polls. She has been an infrequent visitor to UP, indicating the party’s inclination of utilising her services on a wider scale across the nation, the sources said.
Moreover, with the grand old party having incumbent governments in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the central leadership doesn’t want any let-up and wants to retain these states.
The grand old party also hopes to return to power in Madhya Pradesh, and hence the need for Priyanka to be brought back to the national political scene ahead of the crucial assembly polls this year and general elections next year.
Priyanka is expected to campaign widely for the party candidates in the forthcoming state polls, which are expected to have a major impact on the national political scenario next year. The assembly elections to these crucial states later this year are also being treated by most political parties as a semifinal to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
With 80 Lok Sabha seats, Uttar Pradesh has been the biggest contributor to the BJP’s electoral cause. The state electorate has whole-heartedly backed the duo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the last four important polls in the state, two Lok Sabha and two state assembly polls. Accepting the importance of Uttar Pradesh in national politics, the Congress is desperate to break the jinx of continuously losing in the state and dislodge the saffron stranglehold on the state.
The Congress top brass also feels that a seasoned and grounded politician like Rawat or Anwar could devote more of their time in the crucial state, while Priyanka can concentrate on the national outlook of the party. While Rawat can make a dent in the vote bank of the Pahari and Rajput communities in Uttar Pradesh, Anwar may prove to be a good bet to grab the votes of the minority Muslim community in the state, the sources said.
The posting of a new incharge in Uttar Pradesh will be important before the Lok Sabha elections, as he will finalise the party’s strategy on candidates as well as pact with the Samajwadi Party. The new incharge will also be undertaking any talks with possible alliance partners, in consultation with the central leadership, ahead of the crucial 2024 general elections.