LUCKNOW, Feb. 11 -- The Congress's move to rope in former state party presidents in the Sangathan Srijan exercise undertaken to revamp the organisation has raised hopes of the old guards in the grand old party in Uttar Pradesh.

After a weeklong exercise wherein senior party leaders from state's 75 districts were interviewed from January 7 to 13 last month at Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) headquarters here, it is hoped that the new team will be a mix of young and old guards.

Those aware of the development said a word has gone around in the party circles that the grand old party is not in favour of excluding anyone.

UPCC president Ajay Rai has personally conveyed this to several partymen who have met him in the past one month. ...