SP-Congress alliance would win over 300 seats: Ghulam Nabi Azad

All India Congress general secretary Gulam Nabi Azad after exuding confidence that the SP-Congress alliance would win over 300 seats, demoralised the cadres by stressing that the poarty organisation in the state was weak and should undergo a major revamp after poll results. 

``The organisation here in Uttar Pradesh is weak and we will go for a major revamp soon after this election,” asserted Azad. The UP in-charge of party affairs said this while addressing the media at UPCC headquarters in Lucknow on Thursday afternoon. 

Azad’s remarks on the organisation has `demoralised’ the party cadre as it sent a strong signal amongst the present officer bearers that their days could be numbered.Interestingly, Raj Babbar, is also likely to be removed as he made no changes in the organisation after taking over cfrom his predecessor Nirmal Khatri. He even went on to say to party workers that he was in UP till the elections. 

A senior UPCC leader said that Azad had made correct observation that the state outfit needed a revamp. He referred to former UPCC chief Nirmal Khatri’s native town Faizabad, where due to weak support base the party did not field a candidate. 

When Khatri could not nurse his native constituency, it is anybody’s guess as to what he might have done in other parts of the state. Interestingly, Khatri heads the screening committee in the state which identified the suitability and



winnability of Congress candidates in  the ongoing polls. 

Reacting to the absence of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from campaigning so far, Azad said, “ Priyanka is our ‘general’ and there is no need for the commander to go in the field. She is managing and deploying Congress leaders in the campaign,” he said.

Azad said that a lot of leaders were campaigning for the alliance and there was no need of Priyanka.  “Priyanka was instrumental in formation of this alliance and she has done the restructuring. She is required to the work of management rather than campaigning,” he said. 

On a probable discussion on the next Prime Minister between the alliance partners, Azad said,  “Let first see the results of the UP polls, then we well talk on the PM candidate.”

Commenting on the confusion over candidature by both SP and Congress candidates, the Congress leader said that some seats the parties decided to go ahead with both candidates as a win for any of the two would mean victory for the alliance. “In other seats, the weak candidates will withdraw in support of the stronger one,” he said. 

“ We will sit today in Lucknow to assess these seats and do accordingly,” Azad said without commenting on what the party will do against Maroof Khan, who refused to withdraw against the SP candidate from Lucknow (Central) seat even after party’s directives.