Taking seniors along is a challenge to Priyanka’s new team in UP

Senior leaders may keep on posing a big challenge to the Uttar Pradesh Congress’s new team that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has appointed to accomplish ‘Mission UP 2022’

Senior leaders may keep on posing a big challenge to the Uttar Pradesh Congress’s new team that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has appointed to accomplish ‘Mission UP 2022’ to bring the party back to power in Uttar Pradesh.

As there has been no visible effort to take all sections of party leaders along, a section of senior leaders, who include former legislators, MPs and ministers, is contemplating to hold a meeting next month to draw party leadership’s attention towards their plight vis-à-vis the new team.

Although no senior leader is ready to go on record about their plans, many of them have already sent personal letters to Congress president Sonia Gandhi pointing out how they have been ignored in the party.

“We have devoted all our lives for the Congress. We have been sidelined or insulted for no reason. We do not want to see the Congress in such a bad shape. We do not want any post. But we want respect for seniors. We are in touch with each other and plan to meet in Lucknow next month,” said a senior party leader.

Resentment has been brewing among the party’s senior leaders ever since the Congress declared a new team led by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Ajay Kumar Lallu. Many senior leaders had stayed away from the programme organised at the UPCC headquarters here on October 11, 2019 to welcome the new team that has an average age of 40 years.

Priyanka, herself had probably realised this and thus constituted an advisory council while appointing the nearly 40-member new state team to fight for the people on the ground and bring the party back to power in the state in 2022 assembly elections.

As a section of senior leaders have been raising their voice and some of them even went to the extent of resigning or writing letters to Sonia to make their point about being left out in the new system, Priyanka also decided to meet some of them even before the three-day training session organized for the new team in Rae Bareli from October 22 to 24.

Priyanka convened a meeting of the 18-member advisory council in New Delhi on October 21, 2019. Those who attended the meeting said they requested Priyanka that age should not be the criteria giving a post to party leaders. “Age should be no bar in politics. If a leader is in good health, he/she can always be active. Such senior leaders in higher age groups should not be made to realise that there is no place for them in the party,” said a senior leader while speaking at the New Delhi meeting.

Some leaders even quoted Priyanka saying there was no such decision of not giving party posts to senior leaders. “Leaders in 55-60 year age group and above too have been holding various positions in the party,” said a leader quoting Priyanka on the issue.

Those who have sent letters to Sonia in the recent past include former MLC Siraj Mehandi and UP Congress disciplinary committee member Vinod Chaudhary. Former MP Rajesh Mishra, who had requested the party that he did not want to continue to work as a member of advisory council, however, attended October 21 meeting of the council. “Yes, I attended the October 21, meeting. We discussed future roadmap for the Congress. I have no complaints and will continue to work for the party,” said Mishra.

When contacted Lallu said the party would certainly take all the leaders along and there was no question of neglecting senior leaders.