UP Congress revamp: Priyanka in charge of state unit

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Three months after underperforming in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is set to take over full responsibility of the party in Uttar Pradesh, where she is currently in charge of eastern region, and do a revamp of the organisation there, sources were quoted by ANI.

Ahead of 2019 General elections, Priyanka was appointed the party's in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh while the responsibility of western part of the state was reported given to Jyotiraditya Scindia. The Congress managed to win only one seat in Uttar Pradesh.

The party has decided to announce new chief of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC), who will replace Raj Babbar, a few days after the announcement regarding Priyanka.

According to sources, the new UPCC team will not be big like the earlier team. "This time, the committee will be 10 times smaller than the previous committee. The average age of the committee is slated to be 40 years. The new team will have young and aggressive faces," the source told ANI.

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After the poll defeat, the Congress reportedly dissolved the district units in Uttar Pradesh. The source further informed that the overhauling process, which was going for the last three months, has been completed.

According to the source, priority will be given to youth and grassroots workers. The party is said to be eyeing on 2022 Assembly Polls. Every district would have a women leader as vice president. Dalit and OBC leaders will also be considered. Every person will be assigned a specific task to work in their target area.

Priyanka is known to have held meetings to discuss the revamp plan with the workers and leaders across the state. She met with senior leaders from party's Uttar Pradesh unit in New Delhi on Friday. The AICC secretary in-charges were also believed to have been touring the state.

District units for eastern Uttar Pradesh will be announced along with new party chief in the state. New team for units from the western unit of the state will be announced later as the process of consultation with workers and leaders started got delayed in that region.

The source also said that social engineering will be done when new UPCC team will be announced so that nobody is left out. After the announcement of the team, the party is preparing for a series of mass agitation to strengthen the party and take it to the people.

The party has also said to be having a target of one crore membership and hopeful of achieving it within a year. Priyanka will also be traveling to Lucknow and Prayagraj, the sources said. The Congress leader is also taking feedback of senior leadership in the state. The team of AICC Secretaries Sachin Naik, Dheeraj Gurjar and Bajirao are visiting each district to identify people.

With inputs from ANI

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