Priyanka to rope in Congress leaders from other States for UP polls

Lucknow: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra now plans to bring party leaders, parliamentarians and legislators from other states to help revive the grand old party and campaign for it in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh which goes to polls in the next few months.

To give a final shape to her plan, Priyanka Vadra held a meeting with leaders of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Delhi and Haryana in the national capital on Thursday. Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda and UP Congress Committee chief Ajay Kumar Lallu were also present in the meeting.

Sources said that Priyanka Vadra shared the `blueprint’ with the leaders and asked them to get ready to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring the victory of Congress candidates in UP. She has already shortlisted hundred assembly constituencies which the leaders believe to be the party’s strongholds and she will entrust one constituency to each senior leader, and party MP or MLA from other states.

Recently, during the protests by Congressmen at several places in UP over Lakhimpur Kheri incident, Priyanka Vadra was accompanied by the chief ministers of Chhattisgarh and Punjab and these two states had also given compensation of Rs 50 lakh (total Rs 1 crore) to the farmers killed allegedly by Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of



State for Home, Ajay Mishra `Teni’, and his colleagues.

After the meeting with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress MLA from Chhattisgarh, Arun Vora, said, "There was a wave of enthusiasm in the meeting. The whole country is looking towards Congress. Chhattisgarh MLAs will work with their full strength and will form the Congress government in Uttar Pradesh."  He said that he would work as Priyanka's associate.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has already been made the observer for UP assembly elections by Congress.

Another party MLA from Chhattisgarh, Kuldeep Juneja, said that all Congress workers would fight together to form the party's government in Uttar Pradesh.

"Everyone has been called to Lucknow on December 15, and then it will be decided who will be given which assembly constituency. We will have to stay in Uttar Pradesh for two and a half months and work for the party," Juneja said.

UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu said that a meeting of observers had been held.

"Priyanka is fighting on the roads and giving the direction. Candidates have to work hard. There are signs of change. Congress workers are fighting, even Priyanka Gandhi was sent to jail four times.