By Pradeep Kapoor
LUCKNOW: Senior Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders are gearing up for show of strength to confront the leadership. Shocked by their expulsion from party, senior Congress leaders have decided to hold big conclave of party leaders from all over the state on December 28 at Lucknow to decide future Course of action. Former MPs and MLAs are expected to the workers conclave to discuss the extraordinary situation.
It would be worth mentioning that a group of senior Congress leaders including former ministers, MPs and MLAs held meetings and criticised the state leadership for not accomodating them in state executive. The first meeting was held at the residence of senior party leader and former MLC Suraj Mehdi and later on at the residence of former MP Santosh Singh. Siraj Mehdi charged that his own Shia community was ignored by party high command. These leaders want that seniors should be accommodated in the state executive and given responsibility.
The state leadership issued show cause notice to those leaders who attended the meeting on Nehru Jayanthi. They were asked to reply in 24 hours only. Majority of them took it as humiliation and refused to reply to the notices. As a result 10 senior leaders were expelled for indulging in anti- party activities.
Those expelled included Former minister Ram Krishna Dwivedi who had defeated the then chief minister TN Singh from Maniram assembly constituency in Gorakhpur. Mrs Indira Gandhi had also campaigned for Dwivedi in the prestigious election.
Senior leaders pointed out that since majority of those expelled were from upper caste and message would go that party was against them.
AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi is the main face of the party and responsible for making two-time MLA Ajay Kumar Lalloo as party president. The average age of state executive is 40 years. As she is banking on young team to take on BJP through continuous struggle on roads.
It was also pointed out that the action taken by state discipline committee was illegal as it was beyond its power to take action against AICC members.
Former minister Satyadeo Tripathi disclosed that in every district action was being taken against Congress leaders and workers in the name of indiscipline, which would demoralise the grass root workers. He further said that party leaders would seek appointment with AICC president Mrs Sonia Gandhi and apprise her of the situation.
Much depends on how Priyanka Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi react to the issues raised by senior leaders and intervene to strike balance between the old guards and young leadership.
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