With recommendations for action against half a dozen dissidents on hold for the new UP in-charge Gulam Nabi Azam to take over, Congress is set for a revamp within a week.
"Congress legislative Party leader Pradeep Mathur did not recommend disqualification of any of the six MlAs who cross-voted as he has been awaiting a nod from Azad,” informed Chairman of UP Congress Media Committee, Satyadev Tripathi in lucknow on Monday evening.
Tripathi however said that Congress chief whip in the Assembly Dr Mohd Muslim has been removed from his post with immediate effect by Mathur. However, no action has so far been initiated against dissidents to sent a strong message across.
Tripathi also said that Azam will be in lucknow on Thursday and the AICC general secretary will meet all senior Congress leaders before talking to media persons the same evening.
It may be mentioned that except for Nadeem, the other three Muslim MlAs – Nawab Kazim Ali urf Naved Mian ( Saur constituency), Dr Mohamed Muslim (Tiloi constituency) and Dilnawaz Khan (Syara segment) did not cast first preference vote to the Congress candidate and instead voted for another candidate.
Besides, Madhuri Verma ( Nanpara constituency), Vijay Kumar Dubey (Khadda constituency), Sanjay Prasad Jaiswal (Rudauli constituency) also voted for a rival candidate during the RS polls on Saturday. Even in the Council polls, where Congress' Deepak Singh managed to win the in the last round, party MlA’s in large numbers cross-voted for a rival party’s candidates.
After removing Madhusudan Mistri and giving over the reins of UP to Gulam Nabi Azad ( who has twice shouldered the responsibility in UP), the party brass would soon announce change in the sate leadership and well as the Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader.
``State Congress chief Nirmal Khatri and the ClP leader Pradeep Mathur are set to be changed for failing to deliver,” asserted a senior leader.
Several names are doing the roudns for the post of state chief and they are - Jitin Prasada, RPN Singh, Sanjay Singh, fisrt time MlA Akhilesh Pratap Singh and even veteran Pramod Tewari.
For ClP leader, the names of Gajraj, Anugrah Narain Singh, Vivek Singh are being vetted. Gajraj is a top contender as he not only belongs to the SC, but is a four time MlA from Hapur in 1985, 1989, 1993 and in 2012.
Sources further said that the party might project former Delhi CM Shiela Dixit as the CM candidate for the assembly polls. Poll strategist Prashant Kishor has been advocating a Brahmin face for the CM candidate.