A DAY TO go for Ajay Rai to take over as the new Uttar Pradesh Congress president, state party leaders are trying to read the message behind his sudden appointment. Rai replaced Brijlal Khabri, who was considered Priyanka Gandhi’s choice for the post but made way just 10 months into the post. Many see Rai's entry as the first major sign of Priyanka and her team easing out of the party's UP headquarters, and of larger changes to come. While Priyanka had led a high-decibel campaign for the Congress in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, as party general secretary in-charge of the state, she has been virtually absent from the scene since the Congress ended up with just two seats. “Rai was appointed by (Congress national president Mallikarjun) Khargeji with the stamp of both Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. His joining on August 24 will make it clear whose camp has been influential in his appointment, as they will be seen standing next to him on the dais, but we expect that Priyankaji’s team is not likely to dominate the UP headquarters any longer,” a senior UPCC leader said. A Dalit leader, Khabri had taken over as president of the UP Congress from Ajay Kumar Lallu, who resigned claiming responsibility for the party's 2022 Assembly polls debacle. However, sources say that neither Lallu nor Khabri got a free hand to take decisions, and that most other veteran leaders contacted by the high command for the post recently had refused. In that respect, Rai is a break. A Bhumihar leader, he carries the image of a strong, aggressive leader. Partymen say that he won't be as pliable as his predecessors, and any attempt to pressure him might result in open clashes, which the Congress would like to avoid before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “Rai would be the first strong face in the state president's post after a long gap. The past few presidents could not exert much heft, despite reports of resentment. It is for this reason that all partymen in the state are eagerly waiting for the next changes, as it is for sure that Rai's appointment is the first sign that some big changes are about to come,” a party leader said. As per another leader, “A choice of Digvijaya Singh, Rai fits more into Rahul Gandhi’s style of functioning. People are expecting that unlike past leaders, he would be given a free hand to form his team to work in the state before the Lok Sabha polls.” The leader said there is also speculation over whether, as state president, Rai would be able to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi like he has done twice in the recent past against the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi). Asked about his replacement as state president, Khabri told The Indian Express: “As soon as I took over charge, local body elections were upon us, and I had to work with the existing team, without getting the time to set up my own. But I still tried to break the corrupt system that was in place during the local body polls. Maybe some did not like it, and that is why I was removed. One can only speculate.” Admitting he had not been personally intimated of his removal, Khabri tried to make light of it: “Theek bhi hai, halaal karne se pehle murge ko bataya thorhi na jaata hai (It's okay. One doesn't tell the chicken beforehand it's going to be slaughtered).” However, Khabri added: “I'll take up whatever new responsibility the party gives me.”
