UP Polls: Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, the Congress is considering to removing state chief Ajay Rai amid the alleged internal conflicts. The high command is reportedly upset with the alleged conflict between the state in charge, Rajendra Pal Gautam, and Rai. While the party has not released any such statement yet, the reports suggest that Rai is likely to be removed to ensure unity ahead of the polls.
Will Ajay Rai Be Removed?
Ajay Rai has been the leading face of Congress in Uttar Pradesh for the past few years. Along with initiating membership campaigns, Rai has also contested the Lok Sabha election against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi. He belongs to the Bhumihar community and has strong hold over the Purvanchal districts, including Ballia, Varanasi, and Gorakhpur.
However, with just a few months remaining in the assembly election, the state in charge Gautam and other senior leaders raised objections to his working style. In a recent meeting with the party high command in Delhi, the leaders were reportedly divided upon being asked if Rai should be removed.
Apart from the internal conflict, Rai has also criticized the top brass of the Samajwadi Party, a key ally of Congress, on numerous occasions. Ahead of the seat-sharing talks, the Akhilesh Yadav-led party could deny to negotiating with the current party chief.
Who Can Replace Ajay Rai?
As per the reports, the state leadership has proposed the name of senior leader Aradhana Mishra for the key post. Apart from this, some leaders have also suggested the names of Imran Masood and KL Sharma for the post. However, a final decision is likely to be taken after a high-profile meeting of the senior party leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and KC Venugopal.
Ahead of the key assembly polls in five states, the Congress has begun addressing its internal issues to ensure unity during the polls. In a similar step, MP Amarinder Raja Warring had to resign from the post of Congress Punjab chief amid the criticism from the other senior leaders.