The Uttar Pradesh Congress under Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is opening up party positions to fresh talent who could not make the cut earlier due to the "stranglehold of a few", party leader Jitin Prasada said on Sunday as he hailed the revamp of the state unit for being a "mix of the old and new".
Prasada said the Congress hopes to be a party of UP's future and is looking at transforming the politics in the state by giving chances to people who could not make it into politics due to family background or financial constraints.
In an interview to PTI, he said the road ahead for the Congress in UP was very "long and tough", but the party would remain unfazed by "short-term" setbacks as it was confident of winning back the people's confidence eventually.
The Congress on Monday appointed Ajay Kumar Lallu as its Uttar Pradesh president, replacing Raj Babbar, and revamped the state unit, bringing in four vice presidents, 12 general secretaries and 24 secretaries.
The party set up an advisory council to the general secretary comprising senior leaders such as Mohsina Kidwai, P L Punia and R P N Singh.
It also named an an eight-member working group for strategy and planning.
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Prasada, who was named as a member of the working group for strategy and planning, said Priyanka Gandhi as general secretary is giving direction to the party cadre which is determined to expose the forces who have gained people's support due to a false narrative.
"Priyanka Gandhi is very firm on the view that the Congress worker is paramount. The approach will be 'bottom up' and the views of the party cadre will be taken in every decision," the former Union minister said.
"This has already begun and the Congress has gone ahead with the change in its Uttar Pradesh president and a new team that has been put in place," the 45-year-old leader said.
The Congress' new UP team is a "mix of the old and new" as the party, unlike the BJP, believes in taking the experienced leadership along with the new, Prasada claimed.
"We see this party under Priyanka Gandhi in UP to be a platform for the people who have not been given a chance -- be it in decision-making, politics and elections," he said.
"I am sure that the Congress party (in UP) under Priyanka Gandhi will be that instrument which will give chances to a new set of talented people in various structures of the party," he said.
This party under her is going to be the instrument of giving space, place, position and chance to those who could not make it because of a "stranglehold of a few", said Prasada, the son of veteran Congress leader Jitendra Prasad.
Asked about the party's thinking behind setting up the working group for strategy and planning and an 18-member advisory council in UP, he said the Congress believes in utilising the services of the experienced to work with the "josh of the young".
"It is about involving everybody for a cause, it doesn't disqualify you if you have crossed a certain age. It is a way of ensuring that the young don't go off the path and the people who are experienced are there to advice," he said.
Prasada asserted that it was great to see young leaders being given prominence in the new UP team as it gives them the chance to showcase their hardwork and work for the revival of the Congress.
He hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government, alleging that the real issues have been "put under the carpet" with a lot of sentiments, slogans and issues raised to divert people's mind from real issues such as jobs, sugarcane payments, roads, crimes against women and better standard of living.
On all those parameters, the UP government has failed and now it is about accountability which the Congress will ensure, he said.