In Amethi, Rahul Gandhi’s B-team of youths ‘quietly volunteering’

With Amethi hardly having any accommodation left for the “outsiders”, these workers and office-bearers are camping in the houses of local volunteers.

Rahul5 Fearing a dent in the votes of youngsters in Amethi, a group of over 300 Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers from different parts of the country are camping in the constituency as a ‘B-team’ of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. The team, which includes state presidents of IYC from various states, are holding bike rallies in blocks, managing control room at Gauriganj, padyatras along with several programs of Priyanka Gandhi.

However, fearing wrath of Rahul Gandhi, who, according to them, “does not like sycophancy”, all these leaders prefer to work in the backroom.

“He does not like those who show their faces unnecessary. And so all of us have been assigned our tasks and are working quietly,” explains a local leader co-ordinating with the “outside volunteers”.

With Amethi hardly having any accommodation left for the “outsiders”, these workers and office-bearers are camping in the houses of local volunteers.

The team comprises workers mostly from other states, including Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, J&K, and Himachal among others. Even female office-bearers have turned up to “mobilise women of self-help groups (SHGs)” run by Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust.
These women workers participate in ‘nukkad meetings’ addressed by Priyanka, where the latter tells them and the crowd that it was her brother Rahul’s idea to expand the network of SHGs.

The workers who have arrived from other states say every one present has come on his or her own will. “No one has been forced to come here. It is like Makka Madina for us. We have volunteered to work here and we are proud to be able to devote our time,” a worker from Haryana, busy managing crowd on road-side at Ganeshganj before the arrival of Priyanka, said.

Each of the five Assembly segments has been allotted a team of two IYC leaders as co-ordinators who work with the teams from their own states and local volunteers.

Maulshree Seth

Maulshree Seth is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, based in Lucknow. With over 15 years of experience in mainstream journalism, she has built a formidable reputation for her on-ground reporting across Uttar Pradesh. Her expertise spans a wide array of critical beats, including state politics, governance, the judiciary, and rural development. Authoritativeness Maulshree’s work is characterized by depth and historical context. Her coverage of high-stakes state elections and landmark judicial rulings has established her as an authoritative voice on the intersection of law and politics in Northern India. She is frequently recognized for her ability to gain access to primary sources and for her nuanced understanding of the socio-economic factors that drive the world's most populous sub-national entity. Trustworthiness & Ethical Journalism Her reporting is rooted in rigorous fact-checking and a steadfast dedication to neutral, unbiased storytelling. By prioritizing field-based verification—often traveling to the most remote corners of the state—she ensures that her readers receive a truthful and comprehensive view of events. ... Read More

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