Lucknow: The Congress appears to have extended an olive branch to the party’s expelled old guards, withdrawing expulsion of three veterans who, along with seven others, were expelled from the party for indulging in anti-party activities in 2019.
Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Kumar Lallu and other party leaders welcomed the three veterans at UPCC headquarters here on Tuesday.
The UPCC had expelled 10 senior leaders, including former ministers, for indulging in anti-party activities when they gathered at the residence of their colleagues to celebrate birth anniversary of India’s first prime minister late Jawahar Lal Nehru and former prime minister late Indira Gandhi here on November 14, 2019 and November 19, 2019 respectively. Action to expel them was taken on November 24.
This was considered as one of the reasons for an apparent divide between the party’s old guards and Lallu’s team.
“Following approval of All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi, AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Kumar Lallu, the disciplinary committee of Uttar Pradesh Congress has with immediate effect withdrawn expulsion of former legislators Nek Chand Pandey, Bhudhar Narain Mishra and Gajendra Singh Solanki. AICC secretaries Dhiraj Gurjar and Rohit Chaudhary expect from these legislators that they will play an important role in strengthening the Congress in future,” said UPCC spokesman Ashok Singh in a press statement.
Priyanka, during her three-day tour to the state capital last week, had given a call to the party’s old guards and the youngsters to join hands to strengthen the party. She had also asked party’s state leaders to withdraw expulsion of old guards.
{{/usCountry}}Priyanka, during her three-day tour to the state capital last week, had given a call to the party’s old guards and the youngsters to join hands to strengthen the party. She had also asked party’s state leaders to withdraw expulsion of old guards.
{{/usCountry}}An expelled leader, however, said withdrawal of expulsion of only three veterans in an expelled group of 10 raised a question mark on the entire exercise of taking all sections of the party together.
“We all (10 leaders) had gathered to celebrate the birth anniversary of former prime ministers and did not indulge in any party activity. Those expelled included former minister Ram Krishna Dwivedi and he later died following illness. Action against six leaders is yet to be withdrawn. We were asked to tender an apology. Why should we tender any apology when we did not indulge in any indiscipline,” said an expelled leader.
When contacted, Lallu said the Congress was reaching out to all the veterans and all those committed to the party would be welcomed.