Uttar Pradesh Congress Seeks More Involvement Of Gandhi Family For Lok Sabha Polls, Rahul Points At "Self-Motivation"

On Monday (18 December), Ajay Rai, Uttar Pradesh Congress president, along with other state leaders, had a meeting in Delhi with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) top hierarchy. This included the party's national president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi, who is the party general secretary in charge of UP.

In the assembly convened by the AICC to assess the readiness for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in UP, state party officials raised two significant issues to the central leadership. Firstly, they conveyed their wish for the Gandhi family members to maintain an active presence in UP, as they have done historically.

Secondly, they voiced their concerns regarding the party's ability to secure a "fair proportion" of seats from its anticipated alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) in the state. This comes in light of the expectation of tough negotiations with SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, particularly following the Congress's recent failures in three Hindi-dominant states.

Sources from the UP Congress revealed to Indian Express that several state leaders have requested the involvement of Rahul or Priyanka in their UP Jodo Yatra, set to commence on 20 December. The central leadership responded by assuring them that their request would be considered.

The apparent withdrawal of Rahul and Priyanka from the UP party matters over the past few months appears to have caused some unease among the state party leaders. They are under the impression that they will have to independently handle and guide the campaign for the 2024 elections.

For many years, Uttar Pradesh has served as the foundation for the Congress's national political strategies, with members of the Gandhi family participating in or spearheading numerous election campaigns in the state.

Not only did Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi select Uttar Pradesh as their election battleground, but Sonia Gandhi also opted to contest elections from the same state, initiating her run from the Amethi parliamentary constituency in 1999. Similarly, Rahul Gandhi started his electoral journey from Amethi in 2004.

Beginning in 2019, Priyanka took on a more active role in the UP party, initially assuming responsibility for Eastern UP as the AICC general secretary, before overseeing the whole state. She led the party's campaign for the 2022 Assembly elections, focusing on the "Ladki hun, lad sakti hun" theme. Despite her efforts, the party could win just two seats.

Neither Rahul nor Priyanka have been spotted at any party events in UP for several months. Earlier this year in January, Rahul was seen in UP as his Bharat Jodo Yatra briefly passed through the state.

Insiders revealed that Rahul, during the AICC review meeting, expressed concern over the absence of "self-motivated leaders" to steer the party in UP. He drew attention to the situation in Telangana, where despite being out of contention for a considerable period, the party managed to regain power due to the hard work of its members.

A different leader from the Congress party expressed that although all party members desire for the Gandhi family to lead the party's campaign in Uttar Pradesh, there is uncertainty about their level of involvement in the state for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Numerous leaders expressed that Muslims are leaning towards Congress in the upcoming election. However, the party must guarantee that they have strong candidates in powerful positions, particularly those acquired from their alliance with SP.

Some members contemplated aligning with BSP, but it was clarified that no discussions had taken place with them. Various issues were raised, but the consensus was that the party should negotiate aggressively to secure not only a respectable share but also influential positions, according to a party representative.

Insiders reported that the Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders received a message from the AICC leaders, suggesting that they should lead the campaign in the state, with the central leaders contributing similarly to how they do in other states.