Cong to gear up for Youth org polls from Nov 12

Lucknow, Nov 4 : After successfully holding transparent organisational polls of the youth wing in a couple of states, Congress would start now the process in Uttar Pradesh from November 12.

The process would commence with launching of the membership drive and end by December 2010.

Senior party leaders like Mohammad Azharuddin and others would be present to launch the membership drive on November 12 in Lucknow covering 24 districts of central zone in the first phase.

The zone covers Lucknow and Amethi and Rae Bareli -- the parliamentary constiuencies of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and party president Sonia Gandhi respectively.

Congress general secretary and brain behind the process, Rahul Gandhi, would also camp for three days in UP in the last week of November to boost the drive.

AICC Secretary and MP Jitendra Singh and Youth Congress chief Ashok Tanwar said here today the process would be transparent and not a single criminal antecedent youth would be enrolled in the party.

They said the election process in 35 units of the country would be completed by the end of 2010 after enrolling genuine youths from all profesion and section to give them responsibilities in the political system.

'' The process would be a run-up for Mission 2012 announced by party leader Rahul Gandhi to attract efficient youths to join the Congress for taking the country in the era of development,'' Mr Singh claimed.

Membership drive in UP would be completed in four phases and the new members would be given Photo Identity cards, which will include their personal details. No convicted, charge-sheeted or a person against whom police has taken cognisance would be made the member and all the new members would have to give the personal details on affidavit.

While the general members have to pay Rs 15 as membership fee, the women, Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders and members from the SC/ST would have to pay Rs 5 only.

Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) J M Lyndoh and ex-advisor to the Election Commission K G Rao-headed NGO Foundation for Advanced Management of Election (FAME) has been entrusted by the Congress to hold the election process in UP along with Bihar, Haryana and Rajasthan after successfully completing organisational elections at Punjab, Puducherry and some other states.

Mr Rao, who was present along with the leaders, at a press conference here said that they would hold the membership drive and the polls in a transparent manner.

''The screening of the members and the candidates contesting the polls would be very secret and strict and FAME would have all say in the selection,'' Mr Rao said while confirming that Mr Gandhi had approached their organisation to hold the election process of the party's youth wing -- Youth Congress and NSUI. He said that the membership drive would be organised in an efficient manner with deployment of enrolment officers from panchayat to district level for the first time.

Meanwhile, UP Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who was also present at the press meet, appreciated the foolproof system adopted by the party in the membership drive.

' Already 30 lakh members have been made in the drive in four states, where the process have been completed, and in UP too the number of new memberships would be a record,'' she claimed.

When asked, if FAME would hold the election process for the UPCC and AICC organisational polls, Ms Joshi said it would be the decision of the party high command as to who will conduct the elections

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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