Rahul Gandhi plans UP-like revival in Tamil Nadu

June 10, 2009 17:14 IST

The Tamil Nadu Youth Congressis getting a long awaited revamp. the organisation's office bearers are in Delhi to discuss the deatils.

Gopi, the treasurer of the state unit told rediff.com, "We are going to start a new enrolment drive from June 20th. That will last for 2 months, elections will be held within 30 days after that".

So by September, 2009 the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress will have its first elected President since the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885.

Application forms are available for Rs 5 and Rs 10. The only criteria is age. You have to be older than 25 and younger than 35 to apply. Those who are younger can join the National Students Union of India.

Gopi was clueless about which organisation, those people who are younger than 25 and not students, could join.

Elections will be held for the post of state unit president and district

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president. Those who stand for elections at the district
level but do not win, will be given posts at the union level. Every district is divided into 15 to 18 unions. Every union will have about 20 village panchayats under it. At the union level the Congress now has secretaries and presidents, but so far they have been appointed not elected.

In Uttar Pradesh and Punjab the same strategy paid rich dividends for the party in the Lok Sabha polls. Candidates selected by Rahul Gandhi because they had won the internal elections of the Youth Congress proved winners in the Lok Sabha polls too. 12 candidates from the Youth Congress are believed to have won in the polls.

Surprisingly the upper age limit of 35 will exclude Rahul Gandhi from the Youth Congress but he need not worry. He can take a leaf out of his ally in Tamil Nadu and be happy. 53-year old MK Stalin is the president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam youth wing.

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A Ganesh Nadar in Chennai