The Congress brass conducted a written exam and interview to select media panelists, despite large scale criticism by senior leaders. Till Monday evening, the last date for filing of applications to appear in the second round of exams, about 250 leaders submitted their bio-data which will now be scrutinised by a team from Delhi before callingthem to appearfor the exam which was to take place in the national capital. last week, a written test and interview was conducted to constitute the new media team in the state unit of Congress. Party sources confirmed that unlike selecting the best amongst 65 aspirants last Thursday, senior leaders already gave a list of half dozen leaders, who were spokesman before UPCC chief Raj Babbar disbanded the Media Cell last month. It now remains to be seen whether their names would figure in the new team to be announced later this week.
Amongst those who submitted fresh applications, a majority of leaders will be selected for media team in districts. “We have already introduced a selection for media team through written and interview in some states like Gujarat and Karnataka,” said a Congress MlA justifying the process.
``We also adopted similar way of selection in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh etc which will also go to polls by the end of this year”, the leader added.
“After the selection of media team, any Congressmen giving statement in the media without the party’s approval, will be thrown out after a notice,” the leader claimed.
However, some senior Congress leaders criticised the ongoing process. ``The party brass has not fixed any criteria to ensure that only senior and true leaders formed the party’s media team,” claimed a former MP.
“Some leaders might fail in the exam but the party brass should not ignore them as they have spent three to four decades in the party and had in-depth knowledge about the outfit as compared to new entrants”, he asserted.
He also questioned Congress national spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi and AICC social-media coordinator Rohan Gupta interviewing the aspirants last week.
“Both Chaturvedi and Gupta are just a few years old in the party. It was hence an embarrassment for the leaders to appear before them for an interview,” he asserted.
On Thursday last, 65 Congressmen took the test at UPCC office in lucknow which included a majority of those who were previously spokesperson in the state.