Published 10:57 IST, October 10th 2019
Eyes on 2022 UP polls, Priyanka Gandhi takes lead; Rahul not involved
Amid the infighting in Congress with mother Sonia, Rahul Gandhi faces another setback after being sidelined in Uttar Pradesh by sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Amid the infighting in the Congress party with mother Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi faces another setback after being sidelined in Uttar Pradesh by sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The UP Congress general secretary for East has already started working on the ground level and making her own new team. The internal tussle in the Gandhi family has come out in open now after Rahul Gandhi was ditched by his sister and Congress leader Priyanka Vadra also. While Rahul Gandhi is maintaining distance from the party decisions in the aftermath of embarrassing defeat from his bastion constituency of Amethi in UP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he is now being sidelined in UP also.
Priyanka Gandhi to supervise training workshop in UP Congress
In order to build her new team in the Uttar Pradesh Congress, Rahul Gandhi's sister will be setting up and supervising the training workshop of newly appointed office bearers of party's state unit as soon as the new committee is formed. There will be a training of leaders of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee in Rae Bareli for three days in the presence of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. As per top sources in the party, there will be three days of a training workshop for the first state committee, and later in the coming days, new district heads will also be given training.
Sources at Congress told that a training camp will be set up from October 14-16 for the leaders of UP Congress Committee in Rae Bareli. In the workshop, leaders will be trained on all the issues related to the ideology of the party as well as will be briefed on the importance of social media. There will be a two-way communication where the woes of the leaders will also be heard. Party sources further say that Priyanka Gandhi will supervise the camp and will be present in every session.
Congress leaders at national level have been tasked to train the new team. Sachin Rao, head of the training department at AICC, and Rohan Gupta, newly-appointed head of Social Media at AICC, will also train the UP team, sources have told.
It is important to note that Priyanka Gandhi has her eyes on the 2022 assembly elections in the state for the new team that she will be preparing. However, on one hand, the Congress party will face the challenge to make the organisation stand out in the state, on the one hand, it will have to showcase itself as a strong alternative to the voters while highlighting the shortcomings of the Yogi Adityanath government.
Meanwhile, a new committee of the UP Congress was announced on Monday, with Ajay Kumar Lallu appointed as the new president of UP Congress. Four vice-presidents, twelve general secretaries and twenty-four secretaries have also been appointed along with him. In the new team of UP Congress, grassroot-level and youth leaders have been given prominence. While on the experience front, there seems to be something lacking in the new team of UP Congress. But, to compensate for this shortcoming, an advisory committee and a strategy committee of senior and experienced leaders of UP Congress have been formed, which is set to be chaired by none-other-than Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Speaking about training of the Congress leaders, a secretary of the new committee on anonymity has informed that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra plans to meet everyone.
"Priyanka Gandhi will meet everyone. What will happen in Rae Bareli training workshop is not known but we are all very excited. The party has given a big responsibility by identifying the grassroots people and with that thought, we will work to strengthen the party in the state," the top party leader said.
The sources added that in the coming days, a training workshop will also be organised for new district heads, which will be in two parts. As per the party sources, the announcement of new district heads will be soon made.
Updated 16:01 IST, October 10th 2019