Rahul Gandhi: Ready to play captain

Chitrakoot, Jan. 16: Congress leaders in Uttar Pradesh are banking on a two-day brainstorming session beginning tomorrow in Chitrakoot, from where Ram left for his 14-year exile, to mark the comeback for the party in the state.

The party had last been in power in Uttar Pradesh in 1989, when its once impregnable base gave way to organisations such as the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Samajwadi Party and the BJP. The Congress now stands fourth in the state in terms of vote percentage.

Now, over the next two days, more than 247 delegates would try to chalk out a roadmap for regaining power ? at a camp set up at the Ramayan maidan by the side of Paisuni river ? under the guidance of Rahul Gandhi, the MP from Amethi.

The session would be significant for the state?s Congress leaders as well as Rahul. The meeting marks the growing importance in Uttar Pradesh of the MP from Amethi, who would for the first time be participating in a programme outside his constituency involving senior leaders of the state.

Congress leaders are waiting for Rahul?s magic to work. ?Hope his blessings are as powerful as that of Ram,? said Nitin Vajpayee, a Youth Congress leader.

The Amethi MP is expected to form a Team Rahul to intensify the party?s campaign in Uttar Pradesh and recapture lost ground.

?What he immediately wanted is a change in the political culture of party workers. He wanted a brand new team of youth leaders,? said state Congress president Salman Khursheed.

Other youth leaders expected to attend include Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot. The veterans who would participate include Jairam Ramesh, general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi and the in-charge of Uttar Pradesh affairs, Satyavrat Chaturvedi.

Rahul, who arrived here this evening, would take note of the opinions of a galaxy of experts roped in to present papers on key issues relating to the state.

The Chitrakoot session would focus on the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, the changing social composition of the state?s political parties, the state of the judiciary and the administration.

A special paper on the rise of the BSP would be presented by Sudha Pai of the Centre for Political Studies, of Jawaharlal Nehru University?s School of Social Sciences, with the aim of giving Congress members a perspective on the erosion of the party?s vote bank.

However, no specific paper on the Samajwadi Party or the BJP is scheduled to be presented.

Kind words for BSP

The Congress has said the charges against Mayavati in the Taj heritage corridor scam were politically motivated.

?The charges against the BSP president were politically motivated as it has been decided by the CBI to drop the ongoing case against her upon the advice of the attorney-general,? Uttar Pradesh Congress president Salman Khursheed said in Varanasi.