Cong cautious on UP tightrope

The Congress in Uttar Pradesh, where it is always at loggerheads with the Samajwadi Party, is on the lookout for a state unit chief who can ...

The Congress in Uttar Pradesh, where it is always at loggerheads with the Samajwadi Party, is on the lookout for a state unit chief who can criticise the state government without assuming an 8216;8216;overtly confrontationist8217;8217; attitude.

Before the Lok Sabha elections and after being given the ticket from Dumariyaganj seat, the then UPCC president Jagdambika Pal had resigned from his post. It is learnt that his resignation was accepted soon after that, though he is holding the office till a new appointment is made. Meanwhile, Raj Bahadur Singh has been made working president and held fort during the Lok Sabha elections.

Leaders in the running for the post are Salman Khursheed, Sanjay Singh and Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who is the president of All India Mahila Congress. AICC leaders stress that in UP, the first step should be to 8216;8216;regroup and wait for the right moment8217;8217; to take on the SP government.

Since the formation of the Mulayam government with the Congress8217; outside support, the relations between both parties has been uneasy. Whenever the bickering spilled out of the state, senior leaders like Khursheed were drawn into the tussle. But party leaders feel that Khursheed could work to bring back Muslim votes.

Sanjay Singh, a Thakur, had been president of the UP Youth Congress earlier. The revival plan also includes winning over Thakurs from the BJP and the SP. However, the last two UPCC presidents have been Thakurs, though some leaders would argue that this is an appropriate time for the party to have a Thakur president.

Rita Bahuguna Joshi is said to be in the high command8217;s good books for her work on the women8217;s front during the Lok Sabha elections. As a Brahmin, she is expected to garner Brahmin votes, the second most important community after the Muslims. She was also earlier with the SP and was a mayor. There is also a possibility that current working president Raj Bahadur Singh could be retained state unit chief. UP has seen six working presidents and Pal was one among them before he was made UPCC chief.

Before the LS elections, the Congress also tried to decentralise the organisation. However, with the party winning nine seats of the total 80, the party is said to have returned to the drawing board.