How This State Unit Chief Of Congress Is Backing Priyanka Gandhi's Efforts In Uttar Pradesh Ahead Of The 2022 Assembly Election

Congress leader and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi is in Lucknow to chalk out the party's preparation for the 2022 state polls in Uttar Pradesh. The visit happens amid the Bharatiya Janata Party's state executive meet where party chief JP Nadda and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will address sessions and contribute to the shaping of the roadmap.

Gandhi is in charge of the state party unit. She has been active in making changes in the party state unit for strengthening it and its work on ground. These changes include committees related to election, district heads of the party and executive committees.

One of the decisions by Gandhi is making Ajay Kumar Lallu the UP unit chief. After Jitin Prasada's exit from the Congress, he has emerged as the second most prominent person in UP Congress, the first being Gandhi herself.

Ajay Kumar Lallu is chief of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee and MLA from Tamukhi Raj. This is his second term as MLA. Known for having come from a humble background, Lallu has been at the forefront in standing by Gandhi in her work in the state.

In 2020, when Jitin Prasada (now in the BJP) intensified his efforts towards raising concerns for the Brahmin community in the state through the 'Brahman Chetna Parishad', Lallu had told the local press then that he had nothing to comment on the matter and that it was Prasada's personal issue.

The party distanced itself from Prasada's initiative.

In 2021, Prasada joined the BJP. Lallu reacted to Prasada's joining the rival party — indicating that Prasada did 'wrong' to his party.

Lallu is now steering the party efforts in UP. He has strongly criticised Yogi Adityanath's handling of the Covid situation in the state. Today, during her Lucknow visit, Gandhi addressed issues related to farming, farmers and farm laws.

Lallu criticised the BJP in a post on Twitter, saying that it has brought the farmer to a crossroads.

He has been leading the action on ground in expanding his party's efforts and combining the strategies shaped in Delhi and in UP over virtual meets and meetings held at the grassroots.

He has been the most vocal against Yogi Adityanath and has said that the CM's work exists only on paper.

He reportedly will be taking up issues of farmers in a bigger way and joined Gandhi in her silent protest in Lucknow on 16 July. As Priyanka Gandhi increases her interaction with the party workers and public in Uttar Pradesh, Lallu is emerging as the most prominent figure who could slowly begin to represent "change" in the state unit.

This, a section of the media indicates, reflects the shift in "guards" — from "old" to "new".

This report says that Gandhi may face "challenges from within".