Uttar Pradesh polls: Congress asks ticket aspirants to pay ₹11,000 along with application

In a controversial move, Congress asked Uttar Presh Assembly poll ticket aspirants to pay Rs.11,000 while submitting ir application. This was revealed in a letter written by UP Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu on September 14. Lallu has mentioned that district and city Congress committee chiefs have been authorized to collect said applications at district hequarters while Sanjay Sharma and Vijay Bahur will be in charge of process at state level.

money has to be paid via RTGS, money order, or demand draft and applicants will get a receipt for same. While ticket aspirants can submit ir applications till September 25, Sonia Gandhi-led party has not given any information on wher money will be refunded in case an applicant doesn't get  poll ticket. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vra faces an uphill task of reviving party in UP where it won only 7 seats in 2017 Assembly polls. 

Congress' thrust on UP polls

In 2017 Uttar Presh Assembly election, BJP won a whopping 312 seats in 403-member House, whereas BSP could win only 19 seats. On or hand, SP-Congress alliance failed to bear fruit as it could win in only 54 constituencies. While this was seen as a mandate for PM Modi as BJP h not declared any CM candidate, Gorakhpur MP Yogi ityanath was a surprise pick for post. dressing media on September 12, senior Congress leer Salman Khurshid indicated that party may not project Vra as CM face before election.

Revealing that Congress will contest all 403 seats in state, he ded, " party will not form an alliance with any party. We will contest elections with firm belief. Party workers will go to each constituency to know problems being faced by local people". To bolster its chances, Congress has decided to embark on a 12,000 km-long yatra 'Hum Vachan Nibhayenge Pratigya' (we will fulfill our promises) Yatra across state. As a part of this mass outreach initiative, this Yatra will cover major villages and towns.

During her tour of Uttar Presh ahe of  Assembly polls, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vra is facing increasing calls to contest election. While Congress has confirmed that it will contest 2022 UP election under her leership, she has not yet fought an election at state or national level. As per sources, Congress workers told her that she should contest polls from any seat in Rae Bareli, a constituency won by late PM Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.