In the final and seventh phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh in the Terai region, the prestige and performance of four Congress MPs are at stake.
These MPs had been entrusted the task of ensuring the victory of the Congress in their strongholds and the party’s performance in their respective constituencies will not only be seen as a referendum on their performance but will also decide their future in the party.
“Since the Lok Sabha elections are now just two years away, the performance of the Congress in the constituencies of these MPs will naturally reflect on their performance in the past three years. The phase is, therefore, crucial for them,” said a senior Congress leader.
For cricketer-turned-MP Mohammed Azharuddin, these polls will perhaps decide whether he will be re-nominated as the Congress candidate from Moradabad in 2014.
According to sources, there is a great deal of resentment in Moradabad over the continued absence of Mohammed Azharuddin from his constituency and this has already been reported to the party high command by some of the Congress candidates in the Moradabad Assembly segments.
Another Congress MP whose prestige is at stake is Union minister Jitin Prasada since his constituency Dhaurhara overlaps Lakhimpur and his home turf is Shahjahanpur.
His colleague Zafar Ali Naqvi is Congress MP from Lakhimpur and his son Saif Ali Naqvi had suffered a humiliating defeat in a byelection in Lakhimpur in 2010.
The region is a Samajwadi Party stronghold and the responsibility of reviving the Congress lies on the shoulders of these two MPs.
Congress MP, Praveen Aron, who represents the Bareilly seat in the Lok Sabha is working overtime to ensure the success of his wife Supriya Aron, who has been fielded by the Congress form the Bareilly Cantt. seat.