Nearly a month after election, Indian Youth Congress in Karnataka yet to declare results
Cadre, party workers express dissent over complicated election process of party
New Delhi: Already in the soup for not being the potent opposition party in the Centre, India’s grand old party Indian National Congress is once again landed itself into a crisis that can well be touted as the signs of dissent from its youth party cadre.
Over three weeks after the polling for Indian Youth Congress in Karnataka were held, the party is yet to announce the results of the election, moving a directionless wind of dissent in the party’s youth quarters. Party workers and leaders have expressed their dissatisfaction over the delays in results which were to be declared on January 20, but the party has only postponed the announcement of results ever since.
The entire election process was spread over seven long months that kept the party’s youth busy in the election preps without letting them do any productive party work during the course. The grand old party has always pitched itself as the one that introduced IT to the country but is struggling internally to announce the results of its own youth wings results even after three weeks from the polling dates.
One of the major points of arguments in the party circles regarding the issue is also the use of an electronic voting system that was used for the election, while the party at large has been critical about the EVMs during national and state elections.
Some party workers who wished not to be named told Vartha Bharati, that the party cadre and especially those who have contested the election and are aspiring posts in the IYC also believe the use of ballot paper voting system could’ve been better as it provides transparency over the results as against to the rumors that have indicated post-election manipulation of results in EVMs and electronic voting systems.
The party’s election results’ authenticity received a major setback when the party withdrew block-level results, two days after announcing it. It has raised questions over the authenticity of the results. The party however has to answer as to why the results were withdrawn in the first place. Were there errors in the election results?
Users across social media platforms also questioned if the move to withdraw the already declared results was in accordance with the dissatisfaction of leaders of the party who were unhappy with the outcome of the election.
Efforts to get a comment from IYC National President Srinivas BV in this regard were unsuccessful. The story will be updated as and when we get an official statement from Srinivas.
Amidst all this, the Congress is leaving itself high and dry without any external interference, with people now questioning that if the party cannot be transparent, just, and accountable to its own youth cadre, how will it deal with the expectations, hopes, and trust of the people of the country if they win the General or State elections in the future.
The rumors flying thick and fast make it look like it’s a conspiracy to hurt the KPCC president DK Shivakumar who is leading the party in the next elections. He needs a strong youth leader by his side to face the elections. This internal groupism by some vested interests within the party will only end up damaging the party.
With the BJP simplifying its membership and election process, Congress with its outdated and questionable tactics is only widening the gap between itself and the grassroots level workers. A person can join BJP by merely giving a missed call on a number, while the Congress has an astringent and complicated process in place for anybody who wills to join them. The complicated process has so far only kept the youngsters from joining the party against a simplified process of merely having to dial a number.
The onus is now on the INC to come to its own rescue before it’s too late to come back from where it is sliding to. It will not be too far away when the party’s election process, authenticity, and the party itself at large will become a laughing stock.
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3 Indians arrested in Canada for shooting outside home
Ottawa (PTI): Three Indian nationals have been arrested by Canadian police on an anti-extortion patrol and charged after bullets were fired at a home.
Harjot Singh (21), Taranveer Singh (19) and Dayajeet Singh Billing (21) face one count each of discharging a firearm, and all have been remanded in custody until Thursday, the Surrey Police Service (SPS) said in a statement on Monday.
The suspects were arrested by patrol officers after an early morning report of shots fired and a small fire outside a home in Surrey's Crescent Beach neighbourhood, the LakelandToday reported.
On February 1, 2026, the SPS members were patrolling in Surrey’s Crescent Beach neighbourhood when reports came in of shots being fired and a small fire outside a residence near Crescent Road and 132 Street.
The three accused were arrested by SPS officers a short time later, the statement said.
SPS’s Major Crime Section took over the investigation, and the three men have now been charged with Criminal Code offences, it said.
All three have been charged with one count each of discharging a firearm into a place contrary to section 244.2(1)(a) of the Criminal Code.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming. All three have been remanded in custody until February 5, 2026.
The SPS has confirmed they are all foreign nationals and has engaged the Canada Border Services Agency, it said.
One of the suspects suffered injuries, including two black eyes, the media report said.
Surrey police Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said on Monday that the suspect had refused to comply with instructions to get out of the ride-share vehicle and started to "actively resist."
"As we were trained, he was taken to the ground and safely handcuffed," said Houghton.
A second suspect with a black eye was also injured in the arrest after refusing to comply, Houghton said.
The arresting officers were part of Project Assurance, an initiative that patrols neighbourhoods that have been targeted by extortion violence.
Houghton said the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is also involved because the men are foreign nationals, and the trio may face additional charges.
It's not clear if the men are in the country on tourist visas, a study permit, or a work permit, but Houghton said CBSA has started its own investigation into the men's status.
Surrey has seen a number of shootings at homes and businesses over the last several months, but there's been an escalation since the new year.
