Rahul Gandhi’s proteges promoted as he gears up for big leap

July 28, 2012

rahul_copyNew Delhi, July 28: It may be a while before Rahul Gandhi moves in as the general, but his troops are already been moved to take charge.

Four Youth Congress members, all known to be Rahul's wards, have been elevated to the party's state units, and are in line for important posts. The graduation from youth members to leadership positions in the big league coincides with Rahul's impending move as the de facto Congress numero uno.

Sources said Baptu Chakraborty, Amarendra Singh Raja, Paresh Dhanani and Jothimani - general secretaries in the Youth Congress - are set to branch out to mainstream state units. Chakraborty, Raja and Dhanani will be general secretaries in Tripura, Punjab and Gujarat, respectively. Jothimani will be the new president of Mahila Congress in Tamil Nadu.

Rahul's baba brigade set to replace old guard?

This is the first instance of Rahul Gandhi's charges taking responsibility in the main Congress and comes at a time when the demand for him to take the party reins is gathering momentum. On Friday, Kerala party chief Ramesh Chennithala demanded the heir-apparent be designated V-P of the party.

Congress circles see the elevation of the young leaders as a precursor to what might unspool later, with Rahul's proteges taking charge of crucial stations in the party, perhaps at the old guard's expense.

To observers, this is seen as absorption of apprentices from the "training school". The process could become institutionalized in future once Rahul calls the shots in the AICC.

Rahul has a legion of such workers, whom he groomed after taking charge of the youth outfit as AICC general secretary. They caught his eye as he tried to reinvent the jaded frontal bodies.

The shift to the mother outfit marks the mainstreaming of Youth Congress which remained walled off under Rahul, because of the belief that attempts to reinvent the outfits could be hampered by the influence of the older guard resistant to change. "It means empowerment of youth. It also shows that youth politics is not an end in itself but part of the larger Congress programme," a senior leader said.

Youth Congress's attempt to acquire an independent profile had made the party elite jittery. The election of its office-bearers gave a halo to the winners, and it raised fear among senior leaders that the youngsters could replace them soon.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
January 17,2020

New Delhi, Jan 17: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia does not have any car on his name, according to information shared in the poll affidavit filed by him for Delhi elections.

In the affidavit, it is also shown that while his self-acquired immovable property remained roughly the same as in 2015. His wife's self-acquired immovable property is worth roughly about Rs 65 lakh, as per his latest affidavit.

In the papers submitted during the nomination for 2015 Delhi polls, the senior AAP leader had declared that he owned a Maruti Swift car of make 2013.

However, in his 2020 affidavit, he has mentioned "nil" in the column for motor vehicles and other means of transport.

In the affidavit submitted on Thursday, his moveable assets were declared worth Rs 4,74,888 for 2018-19, as against Rs 4,92,624 for 2013-14.

In 2015, Sisodia had informed in his affidavit that he had bought a property in Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, worth Rs 5.07 lakh in April 2001. The approximate current market value of self-acquired property in 2015 was Rs 12 lakh.

In his current affidavit, the AAP leader has mentioned the same property. However, the approximate current market value of self-acquired property in 2020 has increased to Rs 21 lakh.

In his affidavit for the 2015 polls, Sisodia had also said that his wife had purchased a property in March 2008 costing Rs 8.70 lakh. At that time, the approximate value of her self-acquired property was Rs 20 lakh.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 30,2020

New Delhi, May 30: An Air India flight from Delhi to Moscow on Saturday had to return midway after the airline's ground team found out that one of the pilots had tested positive for novel coronavirus, officials said.

"When the A320 plane, which did not have any passengers as it was heading to Moscow to bring back stranded Indians under Vande Bharat Mission, had reached Uzbekistan's airspace, our team on ground realised that one of the pilots had tested COVID-positive," senior Air India officials said.

"The flight was immediately asked to return. It came back to Delhi at around 12.30 pm on Saturday," the officials said. The crew has been quarantined. Another plane would be sent to Moscow to bring back the stranded Indians, according to the officials.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
February 29,2020

New Delhi, Feb 29: Amid the raging communal violence in the entire north-east Delhi earlier this week, there were people who were trying to save persons and families from the "other community" from the fury of the mobs of their own community.

Naeem Ali Pradhan, 34, from Shiv Vihar, helped at least 7-8 Hindus on the night of February 24 -- when the violence was at its peak-- escape to safer locations. Shiv Vihar is one of the worst affected areas in the violence.

According to Naeem Ali, that night mobs attacked dozens of shops on the road and later tried to enter inside the residential areas.

Suddenly, he spotted a group of youth who were looking hassled and frantically asking for directions.

"I saw them. Thye were Hindus who were trying to escape a mob looking to target them. They had lost their way inside the streets of our colony. I along with other Muslim men escorted them to the nearby Hindu locality," Naeem, who is also a member of the Aman Committee constituted by the Delhi police, told ANI.

"Several shops which were on the roads including some showrooms were attacked by a group. These Hindus were worried as a mob which was on the main road was attacking people. They asked me the address of a colony as they were unable to find their way," Naeem said.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.