UP Congress in hibernation mode

Lucknow, April 28 It is around noon and the sun is shining brighter and hotter than ever in the sky.

The UP Congress state headquarters in Mall Avenue wears a completely deserted look.

It has been more than a month since UPCC chief Ajay Kumar Lallu resigned after party's humiliating defeat in 2022 assembly elections and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has not visited Lucknow after the party's election debacle.

The Congress has gone into a hibernation mode and all party activities have come to a virtual halt. We are all waiting for a new UPCC chief and directives form the party high command," said a party functionary.

UPCC organisation secretary Anil Yadav said the Congress constitution provided for senior general secretary taking care of day-to-day work in the absence of UPCC chief.

"Senior general secretary Dinesh Singh is performing his duties to ensure UPCC's smooth functioning," he said.

The party rebels, on the other hand, claim that the party leadership is in no mood to address issues facing the Congress in the state.

"Priyanka has not come to Lucknow and she does not meet us in Delhi. All parties are done with post-poll assessments and are now preparing for the next Lok Sabha elections but the Congress has apparently lost the will to survive," said a rebel leader.

However, the internal WhatsApp groups being run by party leaders are filled with heated discussions on the prevailing state of affairs.

Most leaders want Rahul Gandhi to take over reins of the party and want dismissal of Priyanka's coterie that is facing serious allegations from party workers.

A former UPCC president said, "This is the time for the Congress to take measures to revamp the organization and the leaders must increase their interaction with grass level party workers. If the leaders continue to alienate the cadres from decision making process, the results will remain disastrous."

He suggested that Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, senior leader Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior party leaders should sit, discuss the prevailing situation and take a call in the interest of the Congress instead of inviting outsiders to suggest measures to revamp the party organisation.