Roadblock in revival plan: defiance within

As a part of the revival strategy for the party, Sonia Gandhi had a month ago directed the state units to take feedback from the party workers at grassroots level in every district and submit the detailed report with the AICC by the end of February.

In Uttar Pradesh, 40 senior leaders, including former Union ministers and former MPs were given two districts each to visit, meet workers, take their feedback on a a questionnaire prepared by the party.

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However, several senior leaders, including former Union ministers Beni Prasad Verma, Salman Khurshid and others such as former MP Saleem Shervani and even party spokesperson Meem Afzal have backed out from the responsibility.

Party’s state unit president Nirmal Khatri and AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistry are now frantically trying to fill in the gap.
As per the party sources, Beni was given responsibility of visiting Shravasti and submit his report by mid of February.

Asked why he has backing out from the responsibility, Beni told The Indian Express: “I am one of the most active leaders of the party in the state. I could not visit Sharavasti due to some personal reasons but I did visit neighbouring Bahraich district recently for a marriage ceremony function and took feed-back from people there”.

However, sources inform that Beni is avoiding visiting Shravasti fearing opposition from local leaders as some of the candidates chosen by him during 2012 Assembly elections have already left the party.

Sources in Badaun district, considered a strong hold Saleem Shervani, say that he has not been active in the party ever since the Lok Sabha elections last year. Local leaders in Badaun informed that Shervani has stopped responding to calls of senior Congress leaders.

Shervani was given charge of  Shahjahanpur and Rampur districts. However, after he backed out, Khatri personally visited Shahjahanpur this Monday to complete the task in time.

Contacted, AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistry feigned ignorance. “The information has not reached me so far but if this is happening then I will bring it to the notice of party high command. Some of the leaders might be busy with elections in Delhi, but I will have to find out the exact reason behind them backing out from the task,” he said. Mistry was in Agra on Monday to take feedback from the workers.

Sources inform that in order to ensure that UP is able to complete the task within the set deadline, Mistry is likely to visit Lucknow on February 9 and hold meetings with the senior leaders.