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Youth Congress elections bring infighting in Himachal unit to fore
The elections in the state Youth Congress were aimed at strengthening the party but ended up giving a handle to factions trying to outscore each other. Youth Congress
The elections in the state Youth Congress were aimed at strengthening the party but ended up giving a handle to factions trying to outscore each other. Youth Congress candidates backed by leaders opposed to former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and his legislator son Vikramaditya Singh have emerged victorious in seven of the 12 districts in the elections.
Nigam Bhandari from tribal Kinnaur district, considered close to state Congress general secretary Raghubir Singh Bali got 40,010 votes, while Yadopati Thakur, a loyalist of Shimla rural MLA Vikramaditya Singh got 37,372 votes.
Though top-rung leaders refrained from directly interfering in the elections but they backed their sponsored candidates. “It’s good that youth from common background bagged maximum votes in the election, Nigam is hardworking,” said Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, who has strong organisational background.
Sukhu had remained the longest serving youth Congress president, prior to taking over the reins of Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee. He was also the longest serving president of NSUI.
Raghubir is the son for former transport minister GS Bali and had contested for the post of Youth Congress president in 2010 against Vikramaditya Singh, who eventually won.
Yadopati Thakur, who also headed the Congress’ students’ wing, NSUI, was backed by Vikramaditya, while another candidate, Amit Pathania, was ranked third.
State Congress chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore also supported Yadopati Thakur.
The party had launched an online membership drive for the Youth Congress that ended in September with 3.39 lakh new members joining.
Prashant Negi, a candidate for the post of Youth Congress president, alleged that certain leaders had used money power and influenced the membership, while his complaints were ignored.
RAHUL TO INTERVIEW TOP CONTENDERS
The top three candidates will be interviewed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi .It’s likely that the process would start after the Bihar assembly elections.
The election results have intensified factionalism as the group owing allegiance to former congress chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has been demanding the removal of state party chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore.
The legislators and the leaders owing loyalties to Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu are keen that the high command either appoints him as state party chief or leader of opposition in the state assembly. Rathore, who was once close to Congress’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma replaced Sukhu ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The party high command removed Sukhu at the behest of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh.
In Shimla district, candidates covertly backed by rival factions of Vikramaditya Singh performed impressively in the elections. Ravinder Thakur Tinu secured 4,112 votes for the post of district president against Ankur Sharma who got 2,170 votes.
SUKHU’S CANDIDATE FINISHES SECOND IN HOME TURF NADAUN
Kapil Thakur, who was backed by former legislator Rohit Thakur in Jubbal-Kotkhai got 900 votes, while his rival, Lavesh Ranta, polled 284 votes.
Bhupinder Sharma in Shimla rural secured 815 votes defeating Dharmender Kumar, who got 439 votes.
Baldev Singh secured the highest 394 votes for Rohru block against Ashok Dhanda with 343 votes.
Anil Chauhan got 1,541 votes for Theogh Kumarsain, defeating Sagar Kainthla, who got 1,231 votes.
Anish Dewaan got 311 votes against Basant Singh Chopal.
Thakur secured 1,186 votes in Rampur against his rival Rahul Soni, who polled 873 votes.
The candidate backed by Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu in Nadaun, Ajay Kumar, secured 1,009 votes, while Ashok Kumar got 1,675 votes.
