Congress Strategy for 2012 UP

Air Marshal Ashok Goel (Retd.)
PVSM AVSM VM
11, Silver State, Pilibhit Byepass Road,
Bareilly-243005 (U.P.) INDIA
Tel:-0581-2526650,
Mob: 9411900090, 09999722636
Email-amashokgoel@gmail.com

August 11, 2009


Congress Strategy for 2012 UP



You were in Lucknow on 06 August 2009 to attend the coordination meeting to discuss and plan out the party’s strategy in UP. (for 2012 assembly election). I was also asked to be present, however technicalities did not allow even the entry in the UPCC headquarter area.

I have assumed the present responsibility about a year ago. Soul aim being to rejuvenate and strengthen the Congress in the state. With absolute assurances to the leaders to whom I had met (Shri Digvijai Singh, and Dr. Rita Bahuguna Joshi) prior to the appointment and even later that I am not looking for any gains of any kind as an individual.

Recently concluded parliamentary elections rightly proved and established the fact that our leaders at the “Apex level” (i.e. Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and you) projected the rarest of the rare qualities not heard of in the political arena i.e. Honesty, Modesty, Humility and Connectivity. When I talk of Honesty that is not only in financial terms, but honesty of purpose, honesty of commitment, honesty of accomplishment, honesty of deliverance. That made all the differences.

It is with this message we have to evolve over strategy not only in UP may be all over India. Other salient points are:

Why only Congress? dkaxzsl gh D;ksa \& 62 Years of independence 50 years of congress rule at the centre we have enough to say on four major counts (“Governance-lq”kklu Development-çxfr, Internal Security- vkUrfjd lqj{kk and National Defence- ns”k dh j{kk½
2- 12 years of Non Congress Govt. Only negated the achievements of the Congress Govt. or failed on their own.


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3- Don’t allow the politics of venom and personal attacks.
4- Defeat the politics of hatred- We lost three great national leaders Mahatma Gandhi, Smt Indira Gandhi, Shri Rajiv Gandhi, only due to politics of hatred.
5- Condemn Communal Forces- Communalism spreads venom and hatred in the society is divisive in nature. Ruptures the social fabric of the country. All this leads to fundamentalism, fundamentalism leads to communal violence and disturbances. And the final out come is terrorism. ¼lkeaiznkf;drk] ?kz.kk vkSj vyxkookn c<+krk gSA blls lekt esa dV~Vjokfnrk c<+rhA dV~Vjckfnrk ls mxzokfnrk c<+rh gSA vkSj ;g tUe nsrh gSa] vkradokn dksA
6- Fight the Regional Parties on their ground-They are largely dependent on a few individuals and their families. They have limited organizational and policy resources. They have no manifestoes or agenda to offer. They are like cancer for the political scenario. They have only one agenda to secure large no. of seats in parliamentary election and so that they can indulge in “Saudebazi” ^^ ¼lkSnsckth**½ in forming the govt., due to compulsions of a coalition politics. And then demand lucrative ministries, so that they can fill up their coffers.
7- Focus on Youth- India’s median age is just 25 years. There were 43 million registered first time voters in 2009 general election. By some estimates there will be 100 million possible first time voters in each of the next five elections. The percentage voting of last parliamentary election does not indicate a large participation of this segment. We have to evolve strategy to attract, this young crowd towards the congress.
8- The Indian politics is transiting from identity based politicization to result based governance. This shift may well lead to less fragmented and relatively stable bipolar political systems.

We have to move ahead with a +ve note at all lines. We should aim 210 seats in UP in 2012 and not only 80.


Shri Rahul Gandhi
General Secretary, AICC

Copy to:
Shri Digvijai Singh, General Secretary, AICC
Smt. Rita Bahuguna Joshi, President, UPCC
Shri Moti Lal Vora, Treasurer, AICC

Moti Lal Vohra : 33 --------------
Digvijai Singh
Rita Bahuguna
055-2239825/Fax UPCC
0522-2237581