The state Youth Congress is finally gearing up for its election. The special membership drive is the first step in this direction.

The drive is scheduled to begin in the state from November 4 in the presence of Indian Youth Congress President Ashok Tawar, who is also the MP from Sirsa, along with other youth Congress leaders.

Rahul Gandhi is also expected to visit Lucknow by the end of this month to give a boost to the membership campaign.

While the general membership fee has been decreased from Rs 23 to Rs 15, for the first time, a special membership fee of just Rs 5 has been finalised for SC, ST and female members.

Like the new membership form for the parent body, membership form for the youth Congress has also been changed and will require the members to paste their photographs in order to avoid fake membership.

This form can be downloaded and members will have the facility to deposit their fees online through credit cards.

It would be for the first time that the youth Congress election in the state would be carried out on an electoral basis. Rather than just electing the Assembly segment president, the entire 10-member committee at the Assembly level will be elected. According to a senior Congress leader, the one getting a majority of votes would be made the president, while the next trailing would be made the vice-president.

While five members of this committee, including president and vice-president would be open for all, the rest will be reserved for SC, STs, SC women, women, OBC members as well as minority members, said a senior youth Congress leader. Indian Youth Congress general secretary Virendra Singh Rathore has already arrived in the state capital.