Eyeing UP polls, Rahul Gandhi to chair Congress leaders' meet today; strategist Prashant Kishor to attend

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is due to hold a strategy meeting on Wednesday to discuss preparations for the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh next year.

New Delhi: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is due to hold a strategy meeting on Wednesday to discuss preparations for crucial assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh next year.

According to reports, the Congress vice president will deliberate with 35 senior party leaders from Uttar Pradesh when they meet today.

The party has prepared at least five reports on the upcoming polls, which would be taken up for discussion during the meeting. These reports are based on various surveys conducted, discussions held with local party workers, preparations of other parties and identifying candidates.

One such report has been prepared by AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistry and state president Nirmal Khatri following discussion on each seat with block and district presidents, other reports have been prepared by AICC observers, an independent agency and state office-bearer in-charges of districts, said a report published in The Indian Express.

At the moment, the party appears to be divided over contesting elections in Uttar Pradesh. While one section of the party wants to alone in the polls, the other is in the favour of forging strong alliance with like-minded parties on the line of Bihar.

Importantly, the issue of alliance will also be taken up at the meeting.

Former Union ministers, MPs, MLAs, Rajya Sabha members, Congress legislative party and legislative council leaders, Khatri, Mistry and secretaries’ in-charges of the state will attend the meeting.

Significantly, the Congress has recently roped in Congress ropes in election strategist Prashant Kishor, who is widely credited for designing the successful election campaign of Nitish Kumar's Mahagathbandhan in Bihar.

With Kishor on board, the party hopes for a repeat of Bihar in UP polls.

Kishor will report directly to Gandhi and may pitch for a larger role for his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the polls, including perhaps projecting her as the party's chief ministerial candidate, as per sources.

The party, however, plans to announce its candidates at least six months ahead of the polls.