Priyanka plans to revamp party in Uttar Pradesh with new blood

New Delhi: Stunned by the rout in the Lok Sabha battle, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi is working on a plan to revamp the country's oldest political party across Uttar Pradesh keeping in mind the 2022 Assembly elections.

Party sources said that Gandhi, who is in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, has put a team in place after taking critical feedback from various constituencies.

The source said that after discussions with all district Congress committees in Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi has asked her team members, which includes Secretaries, to visit each district and spend a day or two there to get feedback from activists and voters.

Four teams have been touring the state for the last one month to know what led to the washout of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh where it could win only one Lok Sabha seat.

Even Congress President Rahul Gandhi was defeated by the BJP in a place that was supposed to be a Gandhi family stronghold.

Earlier this month, four party Secretaries submitted their reports to her citing the weak organisation and "unpopular party leaders" as the reasons which led to the decimation of the Congress in a state where it once held sway.

Gandhi, who is said to be upset with both party leaders and workers in Uttar Pradesh, is expected to infuse young leaders in the party at every level, replacing many senior leaders.

During her visit to Rae Bareli to thank voters along with her mother and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi came down heavily on party workers for not ensuring the victory of Congress candidates.

She felt that the proximity of many activists with senior leaders had reduced the party to such a condition.

Priyanka Gandhi also wants leaders of other parties who joined the Congress and have good public support base to be given prominence.

On Monday, the Congress dissolved all its district committees in the state and set up a three-member disciplinary committee to look into charges of "gross indiscipline" during the Lok Sabha elections.

A two-member team has also been sent to the state to oversee election preparations and management of all seats where Assembly by-elections will be taking place.

The sources said Priyanka Gandhi will start visiting Uttar Pradesh twice a week from August to strengthen the party in the state where it has been out of power since 1989.