New Delhi: The Congress will implement a plan devised by Priyanka Gandhi in 2019 to revive the grand old party in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. By strengthening its organisation, the Congress also aims to strengthen the INDIA bloc in the key state, said party insiders.
After dissolving the entire state unit from PCC to block level in a sudden move on December 5 night, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge directed the AICC team on December 6 to recast all the party committees by January 14, 2025. Till that time, all the existing office bearers have been asked to continue in their posts as caretaker staff.
The 2024 national elections were a booster for the INDIA bloc, which won 43 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state ruled by the BJP. The silver lining was the six members the grand old party had in the Lok Sabha but the Congress had to opt out of the race in the recent nine assembly by-polls due to organisational issues.
As it started aiming at the 2027 assembly elections, the party realised it would have to face the local body polls in 2026 which will also test the INDIA bloc. Hence, the sudden dissolution of the entire state teams on December 5.
“New teams in the state will help revive the organisation and will be finalised soon. This change had been in the pipeline for some time. Existing office bearers will be rewarded in the process and new faces will be inducted to strengthen the organisation. We are preparing for the 2027 elections,” AICC in-charge of UP Avinash Pande told ETV Bharat.
According to party insiders, the last time the organisation in Uttar Pradesh was changed was in 2019 after the Lok Sabha elections when Priyanka Gandhi was in-charge of half of the state, along with Jyotiraditya Scindia. The Congress could win just one Lok Sabha seat in Rae Bareli represented by then-chief Sonia Gandhi that year.
“Priyanka Gandhi’s formula was used then to recast the various party units. The same will be followed now. We have been asked by the party chief to complete our work by January 14,” AICC secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Dhiraj Gurjar told ETV Bharat.
According to party insiders, as per the plan, the six zonal AICC secretaries in charge of the state will hold open house sessions with local party workers on pre-announced dates over the coming weeks.
During these discussions, the secretary in charge would hold talks with around 300 local leaders who would present their ideas for reviving the organization in an area in a single day. Out of these 300, around 7-8 names would be shortlisted by the secretary in charge and a second round of consultations would then follow. Later, the names will be forwarded to the general secretary in charge Avinash Pande who will discuss the same with the high command and finalize them.
“At several places, the same office bearers have been continuing in their posts for the past five years. The recast of the various units will reward those who have been working hard and will allow us to induct new faces at all levels. We need new energy in the organization to prepare for the future. As it is, we are geared up for the 2027 assembly elections but before that,t we will also have to face the local body elections in 2026,” said Gurjar.
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