In Rajasthan, Congress Bets Big On Youth To Revive Grassroots Connect

(MENAFN- IANS) Jaipur, June 18 (IANS) In a major organisational move, the Congress party has decided to reserve 50 per cent of election tickets for candidates below the age of 50 in the upcoming Panchayati Raj and urban local body elections in Rajasthan.

Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra said,“District, block, and mandal presidents will play a crucial role in ticket distribution. As per the high command's directions, 50 per cent of tickets in local body and Panchayati Raj elections will go to candidates under 50.”

The Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee has already begun implementing the strategy. Local leaders have been directed to identify and prepare young and emerging candidates for electoral participation.

This step aligns with the party's organisational reform agenda laid out in the 2022 Udaipur Chintan Shivir, where the Udaipur Manifesto called for greater youth involvement in politics by reserving half the tickets for those under 50.

The plan is being rolled out in phases -- starting with local body elections, followed by Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, according to party sources.

Marking a departure from earlier practices, the party has also revamped its ticket distribution system. The selection process -- earlier dominated by senior leaders in the state election committee -- will now include inputs from district, block, and mandal presidents, ensuring a more decentralised approach.

In urban local bodies, elections will be held for posts such as councillors, municipal presidents, city council chairpersons, and mayors. In Panchayati Raj institutions, positions include zila parishad members, panchayat samiti members, district heads, sarpanches, and ward panches. While sarpanch and ward panch elections are non-party-based, the rest are contested on party symbols.

Party functionaries believe that the 50 per cent youth quota will significantly enhance young representation across elected bodies.

“This move will energise the grassroots and create a pool of young leaders,” said a party worker.

The state government has also announced that it plans to conduct simultaneous elections across urban and rural local bodies under the One State, One Election model. Terms of nearly 7,000 panchayats have ended, and administrators have been appointed in both panchayats and municipal bodies.

Civic polls are likely to be held by the end of the year, while Panchayati Raj elections may take place next year. A petition challenging the delay is pending in the High Court.

Dotasra underlined the importance of mandal and block committees, directing them to oversee on-ground preparations. He also instructed all Assembly coordinators to appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs) within seven days. The required proforma issued by the Election Department must be filled and submitted for each BLA without delay, he added.

Congress state spokesperson Swarnim Chaturvedi said the initiative is aimed at building a new generation of leadership.

“With hundreds contesting local polls, we will see a large number of young leaders emerge. This will also boost morale among grassroots workers,” he said while speaking to IANS.

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