Many ministers face ‘test’ in UP
The political performance of up to a dozen Union ministers from the Congress Party will face a crucial test in the coming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. While six of these ministers represent UP in Parliament, there are several others, including senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Sushilkumar Shinde, who have long years of experience in handing the affairs of the state for the AICC.
For the Congress, which is fighting the UP elections under the leadership of Mr Rahul Gandhi, it is like a “do or die” battle. Mr Gandhi will kickstart the party’s campaign on Monday with a rally in Phulpur, the constituency once represented by his great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru.
The ministers whose performance will face a test in this key battle include Salman Khurshid, Sriprakash Jaiswal, Beni Prasad Verma, R.P.N. Singh, Jitin Prasada and Pradeep Jain.
Mr Khurshid and Mr Jaiswal have led the party in earlier elections in the state as PCC president; while Mr Verma is well known as an OBC leader in the state. A onetime close associate of Samajwadi chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mr Verma has spent a large part of his political career in the Janata Parivar.
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