Making objectionable remarks against Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Ajay Kumar ‘Lalu’ finally proved costly for Congress leader Tarun Patel. Already issued a show-cause notice by the party, he is all set to be expelled from the party for six years by the end of this week.
Interestingly, Patel played his cards well before the party high command and managed a ticket for him, both for Parliament as well as Assembly elections from Uttar Pradesh though on both the occasions, he hardly got any votes and even lost his deposit. However, this time, Patel’s move seems to have backfired as he used derogatory remarks against senior party leaders, that too when he (Lalu) was tasked by the AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra with reviving the party in UP.
Though no official confirmation has been made, several Congress leaders hoped that Lalu would be elevated to UPCC president post any time now.
It may be mentioned that a meeting of the members of Other Backward Caste (OBC) of Congress, held under the leadership of all-India general secretary of OBC cell and state coordinator of UP Anil Saini on Friday last, ended on a controversial note as the leaders openly opposed the move to make Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Ajay Kumar ‘Lalu’ as state president.
“Agar Lalu-wallu adhyaksh ban jaate hain toh party bhi lallu-panju ho jayegi”, Patel had said.
Speaking during the OBC meet here at UPCC headquarters on Friday last, Patel said if Lalu was made the president, they all would quit the party.
He also said that under Lalu, the party would not even win seven seats which it won in the last Assembly elections.
Interestingly, the objectionable words were used for Lalu when Anil Saini was sitting on the dais and senior Congress leader and former MP Rajaram Pal was also in the meeting. Not only this, the leaders opposed Lalu even he also hails from the OBC category.
It may also be mentioned here that the leaders tried to send a strong message to Priyanka Gandhi that barring Lalu, they would accept only some other OBC leader as state president or else would revolt against the decision.
Congress district president of Lucknow Gaurav Chowdhary, who was present in that meeting, had later criticised the manner in which the members opposed Lalu.
He even went on to allege that state coordinator Anil Saini himself was selling the posts of OBC cell in UP and inducting leaders from outside. He had even taken name of Preetam Chowdhary, claiming that he did not belong to UP, but Saini still made him incharge of OBC Cell of Western UP.
Gaurav claimed that without appointing any state-level chairman who could prepare his team of OBC Cell, Saini for the last over two years was just giving assurances of announcing the names but the truth was that he himself appointed nearly the entire team at district and zonal level. Gaurav said that Anil Saini was doing more harm to the party in UP and he would soon apprise Priyanka Gandhi about the same.
