The optimism of Avinash Pande is based on weeklong meetings of UP Congress leadership with thousands of party leaders and workers at UPCC headquarters at Lucknow. The entire exercise is known as Sangathan Srajan which is a new mantra for party leaders.

UPCC president Ajai Rai and AICC general secretary Avinash Pande were finding it very difficult to deliver with the state level and district level office-bearers appointed mainly during the period of AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. She was incharge of UP and her adviser Sandeep Singh was very powerful in UP affairs.

It was only after Rahul Gandhi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge gave free hand to team of Avinash Pande, UPCC president Ajay Rai got the all units including state body dissolved to pave the way for rebuilding the organisation.

Avinash Pande and Ajay Rai came up with the mantra of ' Sangathan Srajan" and organised massive weeklong exercise to interact with the party leaders who had been actively associated with the organisation for more than 25 years. Senior party leaders visited all over the state to identify active members. They all were invited to visit Lucknow and participate in Sangathan Srajan" meetings. On the other hand, former UPCC presidents were called to give their opinion to rebuild the organisation and interact with those invited from all over the state.

Prominent among those former presidents who attended the meetings included Salman Khursheed, Nirmal Khattri, Arun Kumar Singh Munna, Brijlal Khabri , Raj Babbar. Gandhi family loyalist and Rae Bareli MP Kishori Lal and former MP were also involved in the meetings. CLP leader Aradhana Mishra played important role in these weeklong exercises.

Aradhana Mishra said the participation of women in the exercise with good presence of 30 per cent which was possible because of Priyanka Gandhi's slogan ' ladki hun lad sakti hun".

AICC general secretary Avinash Pande and UPCC president also held meetings with all the frontal organisations and asked them to be ready to play important role in rebuilding the organisation at grass root level. Overall more 6000 political leaders and workers were invited for interaction to constitute 75 district and 58 city units to expand later on to block, nayay panchayat and booth level.

The idea behind the whole exercise is to set up a strong organisation enjoying the support of all caste and communities with significant participation of women. Avinash Pande and Ajay Rai repeatedly told the participants of "Sangathan Srajan" meetings that party should be active in each and every constituency to fight panchayat and later on Assembly polls in 2027.

There is a great amount of enthusiasm in Congress leaders with such an exercise which has given hope that party would be revived with strong and vibrant organisation. It would be worth mentioning here that as a part of INDIA alliance Congress contested 17 Lok Sabha seats and won six and was placed second in 10 seats.

This was much better than 2022 assembly polls when party's performance was worst with two seats in assembly with only three percent vote share. This happened when Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was AICC general secretary and incharge of UP. After the debacle in the polls, Priyanka Gandhi was so upset that avoided visiting Lucknow for several months. (IPA Service)