In Cong’s much-needed revival, ‘backwards’ now at forefront

Fate of sitting state president Nirmal Khatri, who after assuming charge in October 2012 resigned in the face of Congress’s poor performance in Lok Sabha elections last year, too, will become clear as the state leadership appears ready to take a call on his pending resignation request.
The party had significantly refrained from taking any action on Khatri’s resignation, asking him to continue for some ore time.

Khatri was recently given the charge of a committee but sources inform the committee has been formed under the direct monitoring of AICC, with four AICC secretaries in-charge of the state asked to handle its affairs.

In the party’s crucial changes, which are expected in the month of April, both Pal and Singh have hogged the limelight.

A native of Kanpur, Pal was formerly an MP from Akbarpur and had joined Congress before the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. The leader, who was earlier with BSP, was among the ten the Lok Sabha expelled in 2005 in the infamous cash-for-query scam. He was later expelled from the BSP as well. Although he came back winning the 2009 Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket (from Akbarpur), he lost in the elections last year. This, however, did not dent his position in the party as he has been given several significant responsibilities since then.

He was in-charge of Rohaniya Assembly seat in Varanasi during the by-polls last year. During the 2012 Assembly elections, Rahul had addressed the rally of “most backwards” organised by Pal in Akbarpur.

R P N Singh, on the other hand, enjoys a better clout and acceptability among the workers as compared to Beni Prasad Verma (another Kurmi leader) largely because of an uncontroversial past.

Sources inform that party is also looking for “young and aggressive” faces who can enthuse workers and revive the party before the 2017 Assembly elections in the state.

“Changes are expected but there are various names that are being discussed at present. Some of the leaders have met Rahul Gandhi before he went on leave,” said a senior party leader.

Meanwhile, leaders have been asked by the party high-command to make their presence felt during the statewide protest planned for March 12.