Despite sincere efforts by the party high command to quell dissent in the UP Congress, factionalism and infighting rears its head at regular intervals.
This time, a section of the Congress leaders in UP are upset with the party’s state leadership for giving importance to those leaders who have come in from outside and ignoring those who have stuck with the party through thick and thin. At the centre of controversy is the 51-member Pradesh Congress Committee that was announced about a fortnight ago.
These Congressmen have now written a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pointing out the discrepancies and also accusing the state leadership of nepotism. “We have sent a letter to the party high command and if we do not get any response, we will take our dissent to the next level and organise a dharna to protest against the sidelining of committed party workers,” said a disgruntled party leader.
According to party workers, the coordination committee of the Congress had decided that anyone who joined the party would not be given a party post or any responsibility for at least three years.
The state leadership, however, has completely violated the decision and has appointed rank outsiders to various positions in the PCC.
Some of those who came in from outside and walked away with positions include former Dalit Sena leader Shyam Lal Pujari, former BJP MP Ramesh Chandra Tomar, former SP MP Salim Sherwani, former BJP leader Virendra Singh, former BSP leader Balihari Babu, former Jan Morcha leader Ajeya Singh, former Janata Dal MP Somansh Prakash, former Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Merajuddin and former BJP leader Shyam Krishna Pandey.
What has ruffled feathers is that while several “outsiders” have been included in the PCC, many insiders have been excluded.