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Jaiswal confident of consolidating party in six months

Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow

New Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Prakash Jaiswal is confident of consolidating the party in six months.

Jaiswal was addressing his first press conference on Sunday, after assuming office from Salman Khursheed on Saturday evening.

Jaiswal, whose personality is in sharp contrast to the high profile Khursheed, was at pains to explain how he was confident of putting the party back on its feet.

On whether he had any other party in mind for political alliances, the new UPCC chief replied, "Well, it is too early to be even thinking in terms of striking alliances", hastening to add, "personally, I would want the party to stand on its own feet and not depend on anyone else."

Admitting that forging unity in the faction-ridden party was going to be his primary concern, he felt, "that was not difficult to achieve."

However, when reminded of the virtual free-for-all between rival Congress groups when he took over on Saturday evening, Jaiswal pointed out, "Let me tell you, whatever it may be, the Congress remains a party with least infighting."

He claimed, "Internal democracy in the Congress is unparalleled and whatever happened was a part of that."

He explained, "When the political environment is like that, how can you live in isolation and not be affected by groupism."

On Saturday, Jitendra Prasad protégé Surendra Nath Awasthi 'Puttu" made objectionable remarks against Congress veteran N D Tiwari. Awasthi suddenly began addressing Tiwari by name and shouted, "Tiwari, we want to see the same leader in you we had seen 20 years ago, not what we see of you today."

The senior-most Congress leader, who had been UP chief minster four times and has also had several stints as Union minister, preferred to remain silent, but his supporters shouted anti-Awasthi slogans.

Khursheed and Congress legislature party chief Pramod Tiwari had to intervene.

Jaiswal agreed that the party was getting weaker and that he would strive to put the house in order.

Describing the Bharatiya Janata Party, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party as political adversaries, Jaiswal remarked, "The Congress vote-bank has been stolen by these three parties over the years and my goal is to get all our stolen goods back."

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