During a review meeting to discuss the reasons for the Congress’s drubbing in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, Congress leaders suggested that Priyanka Gandhi should be projected as the chief ministerial face for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
There is growing speculation over the future of Congress general secretary and in-charge for UP East, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. In the wake of last elections there was a demand from leaders and cadres in UP to project her as the party’s chief ministerial candidate. Now she is being touted as the Prime Minister material.
During a review meeting in Gandhi family bastion Raebareli to discuss the reasons for the Congress’s drubbing in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls Congress leaders suggested that Priyanka Gandhi should be projected as the chief ministerial face for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
The party leaders blamed the weak organisation for the Congress’s poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls and said that the party should contest future polls on its own.
A senior Congress leader from UP said “In the meeting, leaders requested Priyanka Gandhi to strengthen the party for upcoming bypolls and state elections. We have also conveyed to her that she should become the chief ministerial face to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The leaders also said that we should contest future polls alone and not have an alliance with any political party.”
He believes like most others that the main reason behind Congress’s drubbing is weak organisation in most constituencies. The leaders have decided to work harder and strengthen the party at the booth level across Uttar Pradesh. If Priyanka Gandhi starts a door to door campaign they think that Congress fortunes can change and it can form the next government in the state.
A former Congress MP said, “Priyanka is the future of the party. We have lost the polls because the Lok Sabha elections because we were not fully united. She is the glue which can unite the party.” The leaders had also submitted a report to Priyanka Gandhi on Rahul Gandhi’s defeat in Amethi. He had lost against BJP leader Smriti Irani by a margin of around 55,000 votes.
The meeting chaired by Priyanka Gandhi was attended by UP Congress chief Raj Babbar, district presidents, party candidates in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls from Eastern UP and other senior leaders.
The leaders had also discussed the strategy for the upcoming bypolls in 12 assembly seats and it expected that the list of constituency-wise in charges will be released soon. These seats were Gangoh, Tundla, Govind Nagar, Lucknow Cantt, Pratapgarh, Manikpur Chitrakoot, Rampur, Balha, Jaidpur, Iglas, Jalalpur and Hamirpur assembly seats.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi along with Priyanka Gandhi had visited Raebareli, the only parliamentary constituency won by the Congress party out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP. She hosted a dinner at the Bhuemau guest house for local leaders and booth level workers to thank them for contributing in her victory for the fourth consecutive term from Raebareli.
Addressing party workers inside the guest house, Sonia Gandhi said “The voters have been misguided in the recently concluded polls. It’s quite unfortunate that all boundaries were crossed to get power. A lot of questions have also been raised on the electoral process in our country.”
Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi said “We will find out about workers who have not worked hard. However, the party is thankful to those who have contributed to Sonia Ji’s victory.”
What was clear was that Priyanka is taking extra interest in Congress affairs and a large number of Congressmen were beginning to look at her as the future of the party. Whether or not she can come upto their expectations only future will tell.
