Congress: Khatri to continue as UPCC chief

The Congress has ruled out a change of guard in its Uttar Pradesh unit and present incumbent Nirmal Khatri will continue as the UPCC chief.

AICC general secretary and in-charge of UP affairs Madhusudan Mistry said that there was no truth to reports that the party was looking for a new face to lead the Congress in UP.

Mr Khatri had been appointed UPCC president in August 2012 and though the Congress faced humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections and the byelections held thereafter, his tenure has largely been free from controversies.

Party sources said that the party high command wanted an upper caste face to lead the party in the elections but majority of the leaders shortlisted for the UPCC president’s post were either unwilling to take up the job or lacked acceptability by all sections in the party.

Buoyed by the success of the Congress in the Bihar elections, Mr Madhusudan Mistry said that the party’s fortunes were now on the upswing and the results would be favourable in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2017.

Mr Mistry said Bihar polls had boosted the Congress fortunes and also the morale of party workers. Mr Mistry exuded confidence that the Congress would win around 200 seats in the 403-member UP Assembly in 2017 but remained evasive on the issue of alliance.

“It is too early to talk about alliances in Uttar Pradesh. We are working to strengthen the party in every Assembly segment and shortlist candidates. The issue of alliances, if any, will come later,” he said.

Mr Mistry, who also held a meeting of district and city presidents of the party, also assured that outsiders will not be given preference in distribution of tickets this time.

Sources said that a number of party leaders had raised the issue during the meeting and said that the tendency to give tickets to turncoats and outsiders had a demoralising impact on party cadres who then stopped working during the elections.

Party leaders further raised the issue of declaring tickets at the last minute. One of the district chiefs said that the Bahujan Samaj Party had already finalised tickets for over 300 Assembly seats while the Samajwadi Party was preparing to announce the names next month.