Not many Congress leaders, including former legislators and ex-MPs, turned up for a meeting convened at the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) headquarters here on Wednesday to seek their suggestions to strengthen the party organisation.
“Only about 40 of 300-400 invited for the meeting turned up at the UPCC headquarters on Wednesday,” said a leader.
The no-show comes a day after a group of senior leaders gathered at the residence of a former minister to celebrate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on November 19.
A similar get-together was organised at the residence of a former MP to celebrate the birth anniversary of former PM the late Jawahar Lal Nehru here on November 14. Such instances were not merely a coincidence, those in the know of things said.
Resentment is brewing in the Congress old guard against the treatment being meted out to them following revamp in the party organization. Although a considerable number of senior leaders reaffirm their commitment to the party and the leadership, they hold separate get-togethers and prefer to stay away from the UPCC headquarters.
Many of those who turned up at the Wednesday’s meeting said seniors were feeling sidelined following recent changes in the state party organisation. Although a council of senior leaders was appointed to assist Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (at whose instance the changes are being made in the state unit), a growing feeling about the neglect of seniors refuses to die down in the party, insiders said.
{{/usCountry}}Many of those who turned up at the Wednesday’s meeting said seniors were feeling sidelined following recent changes in the state party organisation. Although a council of senior leaders was appointed to assist Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (at whose instance the changes are being made in the state unit), a growing feeling about the neglect of seniors refuses to die down in the party, insiders said.
{{/usCountry}}Leaders, who have experience of working with both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, now propose to hold a separate two-day convention of the old guard at Noida in the coming days to draw the high command’s attention to their plight.
“We will invite only former legislators, former ministers, former MPs and other senior leaders who, as leaders of the Youth Congress, or in the main party struggled to bring the Congress back to power in the past,” said the leader.
It was probably in this backdrop that UP Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu had convened the Wednesday’s meeting of former MLAs, former MPs and Congress candidates in the 2012 and 2017 assembly elections.
Lallu, whose team has an average age of 40 years, said the meeting was convened only to make preparations for the November 30 rally in New Delhi. Nevertheless, the low turnout at Wednesday’s meeting has become a cause for concern even as Lallu said he wanted to take all the partymen along.
Some party leaders said a programme to honour and give appreciation letters to the old guard should be organised to ensure that they did not feel neglected.
A similar programme was organised by the then UPCC president Nirmal Khatri to recognise the contribution of former district presidents and others when he effected changes in the party, they said. A suggestion to set up an advisory council of senior leaders at the district level on the pattern of the state level advisory council has also been made.
No action, however, had been taken to accept any such suggestions, they added.
Most of these leaders refused to say anything on record for fear of their utterances being mistaken as an act of indiscipline. But they hinted that changes were being effected in the state Congress organisation in such a manner that the old timers felt left out.
It was probably to ensure that their get-together did not get the anti-party activity tag that even disgruntled leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the party leadership and targeted the Modi government for withdrawing SPG cover to members of the Nehru-Gandhi family.
“The Nehru-Gandhi family has made sacrifices for the country. We know changes are being effected to accomplish Mission UP 2022 by preparing the party for the 2022 assembly elections. But we feel the seniors are being sidelined for no reason. We do not want any post. But we certainly want respect,” said another leader.
“We would like to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to make our point about the prevailing state of affairs. We have devoted all our life to the Congress and now we have been sidelined,” said the leader, adding, “We have no issues with young leaders. We also want to bring the Congress back to power in Uttar Pradesh. But age cannot be the criterion to sideline the seniors.”