Will AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s participation in the State Conference of the Youth Congress in Kozhikode on Tuesday lift the spirits Congress party’s feeder organisation that is at a crossroads?
The Youth Congress leaders are looking forward for some new vigour, especially in the context of Mr. Gandhi’s “emergence as a leader” after a meditative spell of absence from active politics and the series of political campaigns he has led since returning. The Youth Congress is facing several issues and the first and foremost is the fact that it has been unable to stay away from factional politics that has gripped its parent organisation. The organisation is known to be a feeder outfit to the Congress, with several prominent youngsters aspiring to move up the political ladder via the Youth Congress.
Factional tussles
But because of factional tussles, many deserving and capable youngsters get sidelined. The party leadership has, in the past, come up with several formulas of accommodating various pressure groups within the organisation, but these have been virtual non-starters. The method of organisational elections adopted for the Youth Congress has not been an exact success, though it resumed infusing fresh blood into politics. There are several senior leaders who feel that the Youth Congress should be developed as a corrective force. For this, there should be certain element of functional independence. The current crop of leaders is the product of the election process, which was not flawless since it perpetuated the factional arrangements.
The significance of the State conference is that it would showcase the contributions of the incumbent leadership, besides help identify potential new faces. Mr. Gandhi had spent a major portion of the previous years on revamp of the National Youth Congress. With another election process around the corner, senior leaders feel that the party leadership will have to come up with more clarity in handling Youth Congress affairs.
