Despite its experiment to give representation to youths in some of the Assembly segments in the previous Assembly polls remaining poor, the Congress is to continue with its ‘tryst with youth’ formula in finding a new face from younger generation to lead the party in Uttarakhand at the backdrop of incumbent Yashpal Arya’s unwillingness to continue in the office.
Amid changing political scenario, emergence of new political parties like AAP has only necessitated for the Congress to do things differently so that it could maintain its rapport with the people, as the party insiders here believe. That means veterans in the State Congress may give up their claims for becoming the new State party chief as the party is going to hand over the reins of the State Congress Party to a young leader after reaching a consensus.
The interesting fact is that the Congress’ central leadership already done that kind of ‘tryst with youth’ experiment in restructuring party’s youth wings and more importantly it also adopted the same strategy in some assembly segments in the last assembly elections in Uttarakhand when it reposed faith in youths ignoring some other strong contenders within the party.
Although this ‘tryst with youth’ experiment did not come to the expectations of the party in these aforesaid polls as for example, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s handpicked candidates like Prakash Joshi from Kaladhungi assembly seat, Harendra Bohara from lalkuan assembly constituency and Ram Singh Kaira from Bhimtal assembly constituency lost their seats in the last assembly elections in the Kumon division, yet given the present political challenges the Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi wishes to ensure maximum participation of youths in the party’s decision making process, maintain party insiders.
As part of its efforts to strengthen inner party democracy with participation of youths in this process, the Congress Party is definitely looking for young leadership to lead party in Uttarakhand, said Shilpi Arora, spokesperson of the State Congress Party, while talking to The Pioneer. But, more importantly, the party is all for consensus on this issue, she has maintained.
It may be recalled that incumbent Arya has already shown his unwillingness to continue as the head of the state Congress Party by tendering his resignation to the party central leadership. Them Congress high command has , however, asked him to continue in the office for the time being. Since the results of the recently concluded assembly elections have come out, now the Congress central leadership may soon go for a discernable change within the party as the party leadership has hinted after declaration of the aforesaid assembly election results last weekend, said the party leaders.