Cong old guard scuttles reforms move for now

While the emergence of a new set of ticket claimants,products of organisational elections in the Indian Youth Congress IYC initiated by AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi....

While the emergence of a new set of ticket claimants,products of organisational elections in the Indian Youth Congress IYC initiated by AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi,is giving jitters to the old guard in the Congress,the latter have managed to stymie his move for intra-party reforms for now.

With the announcement of the schedule of organisational elections in the Congress,culminating with the election of the party president in July,there was a demand from a section of the party to end the nomination culture as desired by Rahul. To start with,they wanted Pradesh Congress Committee PCC chiefs to be elected and not nominated,just as IYC state unit chiefs are chosen through elections. Sources,however,said the demand did not find favour with the high command.

At a meeting of senior leaders at 10 Janpath on Monday evening,however,a decision was taken to defer intra-party reforms as recommended by the AICCs Group to Look into Future Challenges,which included Rahul as a member. Its report was not even submitted to the Congress Working Committee.

IYC leaders are,in the meantime,also grumbling about the way the senior leadership is trying to hijack the Youth Congress organisational elections. During IYCs membership drive in Punjab and Gujarat,party veterans were said to have used their money and clout to get their nominees elected as office-bearers. The drive in Jharkhand saw one lakh new members being enrolled in Ranchi alone,thanks to the keen interest taken by senior leaders.

Poor,unemployed youngsters who want to join the IYC shy away from the membership exercise. That is where senior leaders come in the picture to finance new members and ensure that their candidates become Youth Congress office-bearers, a senior IYC leader involved in the membership drive said.

The said intervention by veteran leaders in the IYC elections betrays their anxiety about the organisational reforms throwing up a new set of contenders for party tickets.