Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Saturday exhorted party workers not to be "afraid" and work round the clock to win the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections next year.

The Congress leader, who has been holding meetings with partymen since her arrival in Lucknow on Friday, told Congress workers at the party headquarters, "If the organisation is seen today, it is because of you. If the Congress has come in discussions, it is because of you."

"You all should take pride that the organisation has presence in all panchayats and training programmes are being held in all districts, after which gram panchayat-level committees will be set up," she said.

"I request you all that from today till the elections, set the target of working 24 hours, do not stop or get afraid. You have to march ahead with strength and win the elections," she said.The Congress leader asked party workers to get connected with issues of people, their struggles and emotions.

"When you get connected with it and include new people in the organisation and take senior leaders along, only then we can together fight this battle," she said.
She also told the party workers to be disciplined."You have to win the elections but don't forget that discipline is also essential for fighting," she said.Meanwhile, the UP Congress in a series of tweets criticised the state government over the issue of the crime against women.

"The BJP government has become synonymous with crime against women. The women of the state in the coming time will give a befitting reply to the anti-women government," the UP Congress said.
State Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh also hailed Priyanka's visit to the SP workers who were allegedly attacked by BJP activists in the block panchayat chief elections.
"Be it Hathras, Sonbhadra in the past and Lakhimpur Kheri in current times, she has been the first leader to meet the members of the families affected by tragedies," he said.