‘Delhi birds’ make it to Uttar Pradesh Cong list

The list has left the party cadre baffled as many of the members chosen were regulars at 10, Janpath Road but were hardly seen at the UPCC headquarters. Jafar Ali Naqvi, who has also been made a vice-president, is known in the party circles as a ‘‘Delhi bird’’ and many others from western UP who figure in the list also fall in that category.

The 11-member list has five representatives from a tiny district like Basti — Pal’s Assembly constituency. ‘‘This is the first list and efforts will be made to give due representation to all regions in other lists,’’ Pal said.

Some members like Sudhir Kaushik, who has been made the treasurer, Ramesh Babu and Ram Kumar Singh are also new for the state Congress workers. Loyalists of Pal’s predecessor Arun Kumar Singh alias Munna and Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari have been sidelined. While Pramod has only one trusted aide Ram Yagna Dwivedi in the committee, the first list does not name any Munna supporter, not even Fazle Masood and Subodh Srivastava.