The appointment of Punjab MLA, Amarinder Singh Raja, as the new president of the Indian Youth Congress underlines the Congress’s new, two-pronged strategy: a northern revival led by a possible success in Punjab and agitational politics against the Centre on issues such as dilution of legislation concerning farmers and tribal rights.
Punjab is one of the few States, where the Congress sees itself as capable of doing better than the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party combine in the Assembly elections, which are due in 2017. Party sources said Mr. Raja’s appointment indicates that the Congress hopes for a revival based on a good performance in Punjab.
The Congress also wants to use the frontal youth organisation for frequent agitations against the Modi government. “Having an IYC chief from a State close to the national capital will help the Congress’s agitational politics. Mr. Raja has worked at the grass roots and can organise youth workers at short notice,” a Punjab Congress leader said.
Shortly after Mr. Raja took over on Monday, a group of IYC members took out a march up to the BJP headquarters to protest against the changes in the land acquisition law. About 300 of them were detained by the police after a cane charge. The agitation marks the beginning of a series of protests planned soon, said a Congress leader who is also a former IYC president.
Mr. Raja is an MLA from Gidderbaha, which is organically connected to and geographically close to areas of Haryana and Rajasthan along the State borders. Both States have seen vice-president Rahul Gandhi appoint young Congress leaders to head the party organisation in the last one year or so. Sachin Pilot heads the Rajasthan PCC while former IYC chief Ashok Tanwar is the Haryana Congress chief. In both States, the Congress lost power to the BJP and has since taken the agitation route against the State government.
The ruling SAD-BJP government in Punjab won its second consecutive term in 2012 but with both parties currently at loggerheads, political observers do not rule out early elections. After the BJP’s victory in the Haryana Assembly elections, all eyes are on the outcome of the Delhi Assembly polls. “We have to be prepared for early and sudden elections. Mr. Raja’s appointment will boost the organisation in the State,” the Punjab Congress leader said.
Mr. Tanwar said: “Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s special plan for democratising the IYC began with Punjab. The State has special significance.” Even in 2014, Punjab withstood the ‘Modi-wave’ with the NDA winning less than half of the 13 Lok Sabha seats. The Aam Aadmi Party also put up an impressive debut performance winning four seats riding the anti-incumbency wave that the Congress now hopes to turn in its favour in the next Assembly elections.
