New delhi,January 11 :After winning just 21 assembly seats in UP 2006 elections ,Rahul baba showed his “JADOO” ki chapee in 2009 paliamentary elctions by winning 21 parliamnetary seats which was a remarable performance .Just in two year period a demoralised congress party have been revived in UP. HAVING worked his charm on Uttar Pradesh, can Rahul Gandhi do the same in Bihar? Going by the ground realities, this might prove to be an uphill task.
The AICC general secretary has decided to launch a month- long Youth Congress membership drive to revive the party’s fortunes in the state before the assembly polls, slated for October- November.
Rahul himself will tour the state towards the end of the month to rejuvenate the cadre and mobilise support of the youth.
Registration for the Indian Youth Congress will start on January 12. Forms are available online and anyone aged between 18 and 35 are eligible to register by producing their birth certificate and proof of residence.
However, all is not well within the party in the state. The Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee ( BPCC) has been plagued by factionalism with a section of leaders lobbying for the removal of party president Anil Sharma.
With a litany of complaints against Sharma, the high command recently expanded the BPCC to trim his wings.
The new committee has as many as 397 members, including 125 executive members. The panel has a mix of the old guard and newcomers including 14 vicepresidents, one treasurer, 20 general secretaries, 69 secretaries and 60 organising secretaries.
But critics within the party fear the jumbo committee may create more problems than solving them.
There’s also resentment among a section of the BPCC with the appointment of the riot- tainted Jagdish Tytler as state in- charge. Tytler is spending 15 days a month in Bihar, touring and reporting the ground situation to Rahul.
However, some of the local leaders are sceptical of Tytler’s ability to steer the party to victory in the assembly polls.
There’s also a growing feeling that the state lacks dynamic leadership unlike in Uttar Pradesh, where Rahul was helped by astute political strategists such as former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh and senior leaders such as Rajeev Shukla and Rita Bahuguna Joshi.
The recent byelections in the state showed that the upper castes — especially the brahmins and bhumihars — are gradually warming up to the Congress.
But sources feel the state leadership may not be able to fully tap the positive mood prevailing among the voters.
There’s also suspicion that Janata Dal ( United) leader and chief minister Nitish Kumar may advance the polls to April- May to deprive Rahul enough time to revive the Congress in the state.
However, a source close to Kumar said the chief minister had no such plan. He said Kumar may use the coming months to announce a number of bonanzas and populist schemes to woo voters.
The Congress plans to field at least 40 per cent youth in the electoral battle after a thorough screening process. Only those who are supported by at least 25 per cent of the electorate at the panchayat level will be shortlisted.
Regarding the youth membership drive, more than 25 young MPs and Union ministers will launch and monitor the campaign.
Union ministers Sachin Pilot, Jitin Prasada, Jyotiraditya Scindia and young MPs Ashok Tanwar, Manicka Tagore and a few others will be there to boost the party’s drive.