Gandhis focus on home turf in UP

Efforts on to bolster partys poll prospects

 After the ‘successful’ Delhi rally, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi have decided to concentrate on Raebareli and Amethi, their home turf where the party had fared badly in the recent state Assembly polls.

The entire Nehru-Gandhi family will be in Raebareli and Amethi on Thursday meeting party workers and the electorate in their respective Lok Sabha constituencies besides inaugurating a number of welfare projects.

According to senior Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders, Sonia and Rahul will focus on strengthening the party in the two constituencies besides announcing several new schemes.

The frequency of their visits can increase in the days to come, the leaders added.
“The two leaders will discuss with the party workers and give them tips on poll preparedness,” a leader said.

“The biggest problem is tackling groupism in the party in Raebreli and Amethi. Senior workers complain that they are sidelined and ignored and sycophants get precedence over them,” a leader said.

Priyanka Gandhi, while campaigning in the twin constituencies, had also come across the widespread factionalism.

Rahul had promised to look into the issues raised by the workers.

Poll preparations

“The party wants to continue the momentum generated by the Delhi rally and expedite its poll preparations.

We are lagging behind while the other parties have already started candidate selection process for the Lok Sabha elections,” a leader said.

The Congress could secure only 29 seats in the recent Assembly polls and had to face a humiliating defeat at the Nehru-Gandhi pocket boroughs of Raebareli and Amethi.
The party could win only one seat in Amethi and two in Raebareli.