The appointment of Nirmal Khatri as UPCC president may have ended the five-month-long suspense over the state leadership but it has also raised doubt about the future strategy of the Congress with regard to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Mr Khatri, a two-term MP (1984 and 2009) from Faizabad, has impeccable credentials as a leader and is also known for his organisational capabilities which he amply proved as president of the Youth Congress in 1982.
However, he is yet to prove his worth in the aggressive politics that has become the mainstay of UP politics. He is known to be extremely mild-mannered and polite and this could make him uncomfortable in a political scenario where cuss words are now frequently used in political statements.
“While there is no denying Nirmal Khatri’s capabilities but on the eve of Lok Sabha elections, we needed someone who is recognised as a fighter, someone who can give tit for tat and someone who can be seen as an able fighter against forces like SP and BSP. Khatri lacks these qualities. He can be termed as a good man in the wrong post at the wrong time,” said a senior Congress MLA.