'Party needs to introspect', says UP Congress leader, declines appointment to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's advisory council

Ballia: Congress leader Rajesh Mishra on Thursday said he has declined to take up his appointment as a member of an advisory council to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, saying that he is not in a position to advise her. He also said that the party needs to “introspect” in the current political situation. [caption id=“attachment_6507031” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. PTI[/caption] The Congress had 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. Mishra was not assigned any of these posts, but was appointed to the 18-member advisory council for the general secretary. Asked about his decision to not become an advisor to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra,  he said he had apprised her office about it. “I am not in a position to advise her,” Mishra told reporters. Asked if he was unhappy with the new party state executive, Mishra, a former MP from Varanasi, said, “It is the internal matter of the party. If Priyanka ji or Rahul Gandhi ask me, I will tell them about my views.” “In the present political scenario, the Congress should introspect. The party should promote ground-level workers and hardworking and devoted Congressmen,” he said. Mishra, who had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Bhadohi, said the leaders should discuss their views in the party forum and the disciplinary committee should take note of statements made in the media by party leaders.