The ticket trouble has thrown open a challenge to Congress to guarantee a political future for its youth wing, as they are missing from campaigning for the parent party with barely two weeks to go for the assembly polls.
The assembly elections in the state will be held on 12 November.
The disgruntled youth wing has thrown a spanner in the plans of the Congress party to wrest power from the ruling BJP that is eyeing for changing the tradition to repeat government.
After not even a single youth leader got a ticket to enter the electoral fray, the youth wing has completely withdrawn itself from all activities including campaigning on the ground and social media platforms in favour of the party and the official candidates contesting in all the 68 assembly constituencies.
Their grouse is that the party leadership had ignored the youth leaders. About 14 youth leaders had applied for the tickets for the assembly segments, however, despite three names being shortlisted in the various surveys, not even a single name was there in the final ticket list.
This has dashed their hopes of entering the electoral fray this time.
The three front runners shortlisted for the ticket were Nigam Bhandari Youth Congress President and Yadupati Thakur working president, while Surjeet Bharmauri is General Secretary.
Whereas, instead of allotting tickets to youth leaders the party has given tickets to turncoats and parachute candidates, who have had no affiliation with the party in the past.
In the dock for not allowing tickets to the youth who have risen from the party cadre, the party leadership is trying hard to placate the youth leaders so as to seek their support in the elections.
The unrelenting youth wing has decided to take a final call after a meeting with AICC incharge for Himachal Affairs Rajeev Shukla on 1 November.
The youth leaders are demanding their say in future and assurance of giving respect and important positions when the party comes to power.
There are around five thousand office bearers and over fifty thousand members across the state.
Nigam Bhandari said, “The failure in ticket allotment has immensely disappointed the youth cadre and given a setback to their morale. We have been solidly supporting the party in time of need. Some are even facing court cases for the Vidhan Sabha ghero.”
The youth wing had been active on social media platforms much before the announcement of elections to give strength to the party, he said, adding that the support of the organization on all elections-related activities has been put to rest for the time being.
“We will express our viewpoint in front of Rajiv Shukla and future strategy will be chalked out after the talks accordingly,” he said.
The meeting to be held with Rajiv Shukla will have Indian Youth Congress (INC) General Secretary and Himachal incharge Amanpreet Lally and Vinit Kamboj INC general secretary and Himachal co-incharge , besides the state youth leaders Nigam Bhandari, Yadupati Thakur and Surjeet Bharmouri.
“We are demanding a political future for the entire youth cadre who have potential, which has been ignored this time yet again,” said Surjeet Singh Bharmauri.
Resentment also brewed up in the youth organization for allocating tickets to turncoats, parachute candidates and even veterans disregarding representation of the youth who have toiled hard for the party for many years.
They state that this is also affecting the second line of leadership in the party, which has been happening in the past as well.