The Congress party should prepare for the 2022 Assembly elections and focus on bolstering its efforts on the ground apart from countering BJP and the RSS parties through social media and newspapers, said Chairman of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, Haji Siraj Mehdi. Mehdi, in a letter to the Congress general Secretary on Thursday said: “I think you should speak to 75 Congress leaders who would be given charge of the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh and likewise the 18 mandals should be assigned to central level ministers in preparations for the 2022 Assembly elections. The letter adds that the battle in the state will be with the BJP and RSS and preparations for it needed to begin immediately. “Our fight is with RSS and BJP, it will require much struggle. These people know how to convert false into truth and that is why they are in power. Their workers are already on the ground, while we are reduced to fighting on Twitter and newspapers, this simply will not do,” the letter read. He further added that senior leaders of the Congress should be told about the party’s expectations from them after its recent decision of giving priority to leaders in the 40 to 50 years age group. “I believe you and the central leadership have taken the decision to give priority to those leaders who are in the 40-50 age group. It is a welcome move as only the youth can change the face of the country. But the party or you are yet to make it clear what is expected of the senior leaders, should these people take retirement as the party does not need their services anymore?” Mehdi’s letter added. Congress’ final nail in the coffin in the state was the defeat of it’s then party President Rahul Gandhi from the Amethi seat, the party had just managed to win one seat in the 2019 elections. The 2017 state Assembly elections, in which the Congress fought in alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP), had been no different with the party being able to win just 7 of the 105 seats it fought on.
