Celebrations outside Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s house

LUCKNOW - Supporters of Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who was retained as Congress’ Uttar Pradesh unit chief for a second term, thronged her home here Tuesday, burst crackers and played loud music to celebrate.

“We are grateful to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi for reposing faith in Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s ability to lead the party in the state,” state Congress spokesman Subodh Srivastava said in a release.

Daughter of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna, Joshi saw the first position of prominence only as late as in 1995, when she was elected mayor of Allahabad.