UP poll prep: Cong to hold training camps for block presidents in Agra, Kanpur

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Salman Khurshid will be inaugurating the camps, former MLA Pradeep Mathur told news agency PTI, adding people from Chhattisgarh have been roped in to train the block presidents of Agra and Kanpur.

The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Congress party is hold training camps for block presidents, district-city presidents and state officials to prepare them for the high stake assembly elections scheduled to be held in the state next year.

It is being observed that these camps are crucial for the Congress, which in recent years, has seen the exit of many prominent leaders. (File photo)

The training camps will comprise brainstorming sessions, during which discussions will be held on strengthening the organisation, booth constructions and several social media campaigns, a Congress leader told news agency ANI on Saturday. The sessions will be conducted in every district of Uttar Pradesh till July 10 and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi will address the local leaders virtually, the above leader added.

From today, a two-day training camp is being held for block presidents of Agra and Kanpur divisions. Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Salman Khurshid will be inaugurating the camps, former MLA Pradeep Mathur told news agency PTI, adding people from Chhattisgarh have been roped in to train the block presidents of Agra and Kanpur.

It is being observed that these camps are crucial for the Congress, which in recent years, has seen the exit of many prominent leaders, the latest one being Jitin Prasada, who jumped ship to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on June 9 this year ahead of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

On July 2, Priyanka Gandhi was addressing training camps at Sultanpur and Allahabad districts through video conferencing, where she urged party leaders to start preparing for the assembly elections and said their views with regard to strengthening the Congress will be taken into account while preparing the manifesto. Gandhi also said that apart from strengthening the booth-level organisation, remaining active on social media was also important.

“The manner in which Congressmen worked during the coronavirus pandemic for delivering oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators, medical kits, ration kits, among others, from village to village, to migrant workers and others, shows the party’s concern for the public,” Gandhi said during the training programs, according to PTI.

She also told the local leaders that they will have to stand with the citizens and share their problems related to inflation, unemployment and steep price rise of petroleum products.

(With ANI, PTI inputs)