UP Cong leader says 'prepare for 2022' in letter to Priyanka Gandhi

The Chairman of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, Haji Siraj Mehdi on Friday said that the Congress party should prepare for the 2022 Assembly elections. He wrote a letter to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, stating that the party should focus on bolstering its efforts on the ground apart from countering BJP and the RSS parties through social media and newspapers. The letter also pointed out that the Congress had to battle with the BJP and RSS in the state and the preparations for it needed to begin immediately.

'Prepare for 2022 elections'

Mehdi, in a letter to the UP's Congress general Secretary on Thursday, wrote, "I think you should speak to 75 Congress leaders who would be given charge of the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh and likewise the 18 manuals should be assigned to central level ministers in preparations for the 2022 Assembly elections."

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"Our fight is with RSS and BJP, it will require many struggles. These people know how to convert false into truth and that is why they are in power. Their workers are already on the ground, while we are reduced to fighting on Twitter and newspapers, this simply will not do," the letter read.

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He also discussed the party's decision to give priority to seniors leaders in the 40 to 50 years age group in his letter. "I believe you and the central leadership have taken the decision to give priority to those leaders who are in the 40-50 age group. It is a welcome move as only the youth can change the face of the country. But the party or you are yet to make it clear what is expected of the senior leaders, should these people take retirement as the party does not need their services anymore?" 

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In the 2017 state Assembly elections, Congress fought in alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the party was able to win just 7 of the 105 seats it fought on. Congress' final nail in the coffin in the state was the defeat of it's then party President Rahul Gandhi from the Amethi seat, the party had just managed to win one seat in the 2019 elections.

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(with ANI inputs)