Congress will be a force to reckon with in UP, says state party chief Ajay Kumar Lallu

Lallu dismissed the swathes of desertions and defections, saying that those without an ideology 'eventually leave'

Unfazed by the exodus of senior Congress leaders, candidates and office bearers in the midst of the poll campaign, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) President Ajay Kumar Lallu said that the party will emerge "as a force to reckon with in the 2022 elections".

Talking to select journalists, he said, "We are fighting a do-or-die ideological battle. Those who are not committed eventually leave. The reason is perhaps related to the fact that 30 years of having stayed away from power has left Congress with a handful of workers and a basketful of generational leaders who are more interested in individual aspirations than taking to the streets to revive the party. Also, the 'elitists' cannot digest a poor man's son rising to the level of party president."

He also denied that the exit of leaders like Jitin Prasada and R P N Singh will demoralise the cadres. "It may have an impact on the minds of some but our leader Priyanka Gandhi's warmth and motivation fill in for it."

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Ajay Kumar Lallu claims that he has strengthened the party organisation like never before. "When I was appointed in 2019, we started with not more than 15,000 people with different levels of commitment. Today, we have a trained and committed workforce of more than 1 lakh workers representing our ideology," he said.

He further said that the Congress has been the main opposition each time the people needed it. "The BJP vs SP contest scenario has been created by businessmen friends of both parties having a stake in media houses. The results will speak for our position," he said.

Talking about the BSP, the UPCC President said, "BSP is a scared political entity. Their leader did not come out even when people of the Dalit community, like the girl in Hathras or the worker in Agra, were in trouble. It is, in fact, doing free service to the BJP. New players like AAP and Azad Samaj Party will take years to gauge the depth of Uttar Pradesh's political landscape."

He further said that the Congress is well prepared to campaign amid the pandemic. "Separate teams are manning social media, campaign design, content and field activities. All work is divided into digital and house to house visits because of the Covid-19 protocol. In areas where the internet does not work well, teams are distributing handbills," he said.

Ajay Kumar Lallu is contesting from his Tankuhi seat and hopes to achieve a hat-trick this time.

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