‘Mammoth’ Cong state committee to be pruned soon

If office-bearers and heads of frontal organisations,cells and departments are included,the total strength of the extended UPCC goes up to 500 members.

Sources said the “mammoth sized” committee was an attempt to “accommodate all,please all” ahead of the Lok Sabha elections to avoid internal bickering.

“Now the party leadership feels there is no point in having such a large committee,especially when a number of office-bearers do not contribute in the organisational works,” a senior leader said.

During recent general elections,there were complaints against some office-bearers that they had indulged in anti-party activities and sabotaged the chances of party candidates in some Lok Sabha constituencies,the sources said. Asked as to what criteria would be followed while cutting down the size of the state committee,Congress General Secretary Subodh Srivastava said “those who had performed well in the Lok Sabha elections will be rewarded,whereas those who who did not work will be shown the door.”

Sources said a final decision on the size of the committee will be taken by the party high command. The exercise,likely to be finalised in July itself before by-elections to 13 assembly seats are held,has been undertaken after Sonia Gandhi’s visit to her parliamentary constituency Rae Bareli on June 11,during which she asked the state leaders to strengthen the organisation up to the district level.