Since the last four months, the Congress high command is frantically looking for a suitable candidate to occupy the post of UP Congress president.
But there are apparently no takers for the post that faces another huge challenge of reviving the party in the Lok Sabha elections.
Unable to find one UPCC president, the Congress is now planning to appoint four heads of the party in UP by dividing the organisation into four zones.
According to party sources, the party high command had shortlisted about six probables for the post of UPCC president but most of them have declined to take up the challenge on one pretext or the other.
“Some like Union state minister R.P.N. Singh have chosen to continue in their ministerial positions while others like Rajeshpati Tripathi lack a mass acceptability and appeal in the party organisation. The Congress high command wants to give the responsibility of the party organisation to young blood but there is an extremely limited choice in this,” said a senior party functionary.
The inordinate delay in appointing a new UPCC president — the present incumbent Rita Bahuguna Joshi had submitted her resignation immediately after the Assembly poll debacle four months ago — has put the Congress in UP in a limbo. The party has been pushed into a state of inertia and it will again take a concerted effort tom mobilise cadres for the general elections.
If party sources are to be believed, the Congress has now decided to divide the party into four zones and appoint a separate president for each zone.
“This will decentralise power and also put an end to factionalism that has repeatedly spoilt the party in UP. Each zonal president will report directly to an AICC general secretary and Mr Rahul Gandhi and will be responsible for the party’s performance in his zone. Hence there will be greater accountability and less infighting,” the leader added.
However, Congress legislators feel that four presidents in one state will only add to factionalism and confusion prevailing in the party unit.
“With four presidents, there will be a lack of coordination and the party will not have a cohesive approach to issues. When there is one government here, we need the party to work as one unit,” said a senior legislator.
This is not the time to experiment on such issues because Lok Sabha elections are round the corner,” said a senior legislator.