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Journalism of Courage
Having spent years in airconditioned comfort, the Congress seems to have realised that if it wants to turn around its fortunes in Uttar Pradesh, it has to go to the villages. Revival of the village units of the party —- which once used to be the strength of the Congress —- is highest on the agenda of new Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Rita Bahuguna Joshi.
“Each district has 45-50 party workers holding key positions. If they start concentrating on each block of the district in groups of five, they will be able to make a major difference,” Joshi believes. “There are dozens of schemes and crores of rupees that the Centre has pumped in, but unfortunately the Congress has not been able to encash upon them.”
“The party was certainly lacking a leadership in UP which could function pro-actively. Joshi has filled the gap,” said a senior party leader.
The new UPCC chief showed she meant business when she led partymen (including the present legislative party leader Promod Tiwari, former UPCC president Jagdambika Pal and over half a dozen former ministers) in a protest over the removal of a Rajiv Gandhi statue from a crossing in Lucknow. Though the statue was removed a week ago, at the time the Congress registered barely a response.
Joshi has also promised to ensure better coordination between the 42 frontal organisations of the party, helping them reach out to people at the tehsil level.
She believes that making people aware of the schemes for them is the only way to ensure that the Congress is heard in the villages. “Once the public is aware, it starts demanding its rights, builds pressure on the Government and our purpose is met,” said a senior Congress leader.
However, while there is a fresh breath of air in the Congress office, it won’t be enough to breathe new life into the party.
The Congress currently has nine MPs, besides 22 MLAs and 3 MLCs in the state. However, the Congress insists that right now their concern is not the numbers. “Being out of power is no issue for us. We are not aiming at power but at bringing Congress workers back together,” said one party leader.
