Priyanka Gandhi Vadra takes charge of Uttar Pradesh Congress

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was the incharge of Congress in Uttar Pradesh East, will now lead the party in the entire state. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Priyanka had made a formal entry in politics by taking over as the party general secretary Uttar Pradesh East. While she had been entrusted with the leading the party in the East, Jyotiraditya Scindia was appointed as party general secretary Uttar Pradesh West. 

However, the Congress put up a dismal show in the state winning just one seat in the general elections. Congress could not even retain party chief Rahul Gandhi's Amethi seat which he lost to Bharatiya Janata Party's Smriti Irani. The only seat where the Congress won was Gandhi bastion Rae Bareli from where UPA chief Sonia Gandhi had contested.

In an apparent effort to revive its cadre in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress after the results had dissolved all its district committees in the state. A three-member panel had been set up by the party to look into complaints of gross indiscipline during the election. 

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Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal had issued a statement saying that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has approved the decision to bring in massive changes in Uttar Pradesh unit of the party. The statement added that the AICC has approved the proposals submitted Priyanka and Scindia. The decision to dissolve the district committees in Uttar Pradesh had been taken after Priyanka and Scindia held review meetings to assess to reason for the loss.

With Assembly bypolls for 12 seats in Uttar Pradesh approaching, Congress is trying to regain its lost ground and the party has constituted a two-member team to oversee election preparations in all the Assembly seats which are going to witness bypolls.