At a time when its organisational structure in the state continues to remain weak, the current mood in the Congress is to renominate all its sitting Lok Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh in the coming general election.
The party officials are busy in constituting district Congress committees and about 900 block committees.
“After that we will identify issues and get ready for multi-cornered contests against the political rivals,” a party official said.
While the Samajwadi Party, BSP and the BJP have started shortlisting their nominees and are ready to contest polls on their own agenda, the Congress is banking on the food security card.
“We have asked our MPs (22) to set a target of winning 28 to 30 of the total 80 seats in the state,” said a member of the Congress “think tank”.
The Congress managers are confident that the food security programme would help the party irrespective of whether or not it will be implemented by the state government.
“We will build up the campaign on food for poor. If they get, we will say it is because of Sonia Gandhi. And if they fail to get, then we will say the state government is not giving despite the Centre’s act,” he said.
The Samajwadi Party, BSP and the BJP will fight the elections on their own as they have strong organisational network and leaders which the Congress has been lacking.
If polarisation of voters on communal lines would help the SP and the BJP to some extent, the BSP will get mileage from its social justice and reservation plank.
The Congress party is expected to fight the election in an alliance with the RLD in western UP whose jat political constituency is being seen as an anti Congress traditionally.