Ex-BSP MP Brijlal Khabri is UP Cong chief

The Congress, which won two seats and just about 2% votes in the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, on Sunday conducted yet another 'experiment' by appointing many leaders who had come from other parties to the UP Congress Committee. Brijlal Khabri, a former BSP MP who forfeited his deposit as Congress candidate in the 2022 Assembly polls, has been made the PCC chief.

AICC also named six 'regional presidents' by dividing the state into 6 parts, Braj, Paschim, Awadh, Bundelkhand, Prayag and Purvanchal. The old Congress leaders are in a minority, with most party slots going to 'converts from BSP and SP.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reportedly could not persuade some Congress leaders to take charge of the state unit. Many in the Congress noted how the party's interim chief Sonia Gandhi made these appointments right in the middle of Congress presidential polls and without leaving it to the "incoming Congress president".

Dalit leader Khabri polled just 1.29% votes as the Congress candidate from Mehroni (SC) seat in the recent Assembly polls. Apart from his pitiable vote percentage the fact the BSP candidate in the same seat came second with 22.07% votes showed Khabri's exit caused no particular harm to the BSP.