Lucknow, February 24: The Grand Old Party the Congress failed flat on the face in Maharashtra civic polls and BMC elections and now questions are being asked about Rahul Gandhi’s abilities to lead the Congress party for a better future even as three crucial phases of polling are still left in the ongoing UP assembly polls.

Sheila Dixit, The former Delhi chief minister and party face for Uttar Pradesh CM just before the alliance between Congress and Samajwadi Party, has said that Rahul Gandhi is still not mature and he should be given time.

Cong leader #SheilaDikshit's reported remark that #RahulGandhi was 'still not mature' delayed acknowledgment, people already knew it: #BJP

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 24, 2017

Amit Shah Commented on this he said if he is immature why are you pushing him on UP

Sheila Dixit said this in an interview with the Times of India that Congress is going through a change as well as a change in the overall political scenario where the language has changed a lot.

The interview was done before the party’s very poor show in Maharashtra as there is no mention of it. The defensive tone for Rahul Gandhi’s performance as Congress president could be interpreted in the context of the ongoing UP polls where the alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) is showing cracks, threatening to impact the final outcome and effect the result of the Samajwadi party as well which was expecting some good number of seats this time above 300.

A Meeting with a mid-level Congress leader in Jaunpur gave an indication over the confusion,  distrust, irritation and uneasiness simmering at ground level in district units beneath the smiles meant for perception building exercises in front of television cameras.

Rahul Gandhi does not listen to anybody and The alliance is a disaster for the Congress party as it will further weaken the organisation at the local level, for 2019 parliamentary Election.

The Congress workers in UP, In the UP election 2017, are not happy with the alliance with the Samajwadi Party and now the bitterness is showing on ground level at many places. District and state level political leaders do not mince words while criticising the alliance, requesting anonymity.

The contest between Samajwadi Party and Congress candidates at some seats is overshadowing the camera-friendly display between the boys of Uttar Pradesh - Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi.

However the Sheila Dixit who was Congress nominee as CM, she is nowhere in election campaigning. Raj Babbar, the UP PCC chief and a star campaigner for the party also missing from the ground action. The uneasiness in Congress camp does not augur well for the party.

And this equation in the Congress party is also going to hurt the seats of the Samajwadi party and surely going to help the BJP and the BSP more in the UP Election 2017.