2022 UP Assembly polls: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to visit Lucknow on July 14

Congress General Secretary and in-charge of the party's Uttar Pradesh unit Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will visit Lucknow on July 14 to intensify the party's preparations for 'Mission UP' with an eye on the 2022 assembly polls.

During the virtual meeting with UP senior leaders, Priyanka Gandhi discussed the party's strategy regarding the upcoming Assembly elections and accused the Bharatiya Janata party for the violence in the recently concluded block head elections.

"Incidents of violence took place in Uttar Pradesh (UP) during the Panchayat elections. BJP workers used stones & bullets, says Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during UP Congress Advisory Council and Strategic Group meeting today.

Sources toldthat this meeting was to formulate a strategy for the upcoming polls.

It has been decided to counter the BJP government on the issues of inflation, COVID-19 pandemic, panchayat elections while formulating a strategy for the upcoming elections and the party training camps in the state at the meeting of Congress Advisory Council and Strategic Group today.

A suggestion was made at the meeting by several senior Uttar Pradesh leaders that Priyanka Gandhi should come over to Lucknow and start residing there and small meetings should be addressed by state leaders from time to time to keep her updated about the issues concerning the state, they said.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Priyanka Gandhi hasn't been much active in the state but she was continuously raising the real issues and kept on making suggestions to the Government by writing letters to the chief minister.

Senior Congress leaders Salman Khurshid, Rashid Alvi, PL Punia, Pramod Tiwari, Ajay Kumar Lallu and others were present at the meeting.

Priyanka said that people have been adversely affected due to inflation, rising prices of petrol, diesel, mustard oil, fruits and vegetables.

She said that farmers have been suffering because their cost of production has gone up but their income has decreased.

The Congress general secretary had also alleged that there was widespread violence during the recent Uttar Pradesh Panchayat elections and accused BJP workers of indulging in violence using bombs, stones, and guns.

The party's Uttar Pradesh unit collectively decided to protest against the Centre and the state government, taking to the streets over inflation, unemployment and anarchy.

( With inputs from ANI )