Miffed UP Congress veterans to meet Sonia Gandhi

Senior Congress leaders in Uttar Pradesh are seemingly unhappy with being sidelined in state politics and will talk to party interim President Sonia Gandhi and discuss the issue.

The leaders have reached New Delhi on Thursday to commemorate the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has revamped the internal state-level organisation of the party after taking over the reins. Veteran leaders were replaced with fresh faces and given more responsibilities. This has caused dissent among the senior leaders and gradually they are speaking up.

Around 12 leaders met at the residence of erstwhile member of Parliament Santosh Singh in Gomti Nagar here. They will discuss on the organisation at the state and district levels, say sources, adding some people were given important posts who have no links with the party.

Some senior leaders also alleged that they were repeatedly ignored and attempts were made to ally with other parties affecting the Congress.

They will tell Sonia that workers who served Congress for more than about 40 years were sidelined because of their age.

"It is not new, this has been happening over past 10-15 years. The leaders who are attending the meet have not been involved in any major party decisions," said former MLA Bhudhar Narayan Mishra.

Former ministers and party leaders Ramkishan Dwivedi, Satyadev Tripathi, Sawampraksh Goswami, Rajendra Singh Solanki, Vinod Choudhry, Nekchand Pandey, and Siraj Mehdi were also present.