In keeping with Rahul Gandhi’s agenda of empowering women and Dalits, the Youth Congress in Uttar Pradesh will reserve posts for SC/STs and women in all 26 units in the central zone, where the month-long process of enrolment of members is set to start on November 12. These units, incidentally, are coterminous with the 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in the zone.

The reservation will be at the level of unit presidents and also in the organisational committees.

These posts will be selected by a draw of lots. As many as 25 per cent posts of unit presidents will be reserved, half for SC/STs and half for women. That means three of the presidents in central zone will be SC/STs and three women. “At all levels — whether panchayat, Assembly and Lok Sabha constituency, and at the state level also, we will have reservation in the committees as well. Out of the 10 committee members at all levels, one post of general secretary would be reserved for SC/STs, one for women and one for OBCs or minorities,” informed Prakash Joshi, UP in-charge of the Youth Congress Election Commission.

Former state Youth Congress president Yogesh Dixit informed that in the old structure, when district presidents were appointed by nomination, there was no reservation.

In order to give a boost to the membership drive, AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi will visit all 26 districts of the central zone later this month. “His three-day visit will focus on the membership drive of the Youth Congress in the central zone of UP,” said Jitendra Singh, AICC secretary in-charge of the Indian Youth Congress. He said that about 1,500 persons will be involved in the conduction of elections.

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