Cong aims to strengthen youth wing in Haryana

Nearly two months after facing a setback in the Assembly elections, the Congress youth wing in Haryana will start organisational election process to elect its state-level and district-level bodies later this month.

Sources in the party said it would be the first election of the youth wing in any state under the leadership of newly elected Indian Youth Congress (IYC) president Uday Bhanu Chib.

Filing of nominations from Dec 20

Filing of nominations to contest the youth wing elections will start from December 20 and continue till January 5, 2025. He said a fresh membership drive of the Haryana youth wing would start after the filing of nomination papers on January 5.

Sachin Kundu, Haryana Youth Congress president

Congress leaders said it would be a challenge before the new IYC chief to hold the elections in the faction-ridden unit of the party in Haryana. Some Congress leaders had even alleged sabotage and infighting as the reasons behind the defeat of party candidates in a number of Assembly segments in the state.

The internal inquiry committee, constituted by the state and the central bodies of the party, is yet to come out with the convincing reasons behind the unexpected defeat in the Haryana elections.

Haryana Youth Congress president Sachin Kundu said filing of nominations to contest the youth wing elections will start from December 20 and continue till January 5, 2025. He said a fresh membership drive of the Haryana youth wing would start after the filing of nomination papers on January 5. The schedule for the elections would be announced later.

Haryana Youth Congress vice-president Krishan Satrod said the existing body would be dissolved soon. “The incumbent youth wing is set to complete its three-year tenure,” he said, adding that the process to elect the office-bearers would be conducted in a transparent and democratic manner. It was aimed at strengthening the democratic process in the party.

However, the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, headed by Udai Bhan and his predecessors, including Kumari Selja and Ashok Tanwar, could not constitute the district-level body in the state in the past 10 years due to factionalism in the party.

“Party leaders as well as candidates have told the party high command that infighting was one of the reasons behind the party’s defeat in the recently held Assembly elections, despite surveys projecting a win in the state,” said a party leader, adding that it would be interesting to watch as how youth wing elections are conducted in the state.

“It’s a test before the Congress ahead of its imminent exercise to strengthen the party in Haryana,” a leader stated.