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 The party however has to answer as to why the results were withdrawn in the first place.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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Baba Siddique murder probe: Son names builders, politicians in statement to police
Mumbai (PTI): Former MLA Zeeshan Siddique has named some builders and politicians in his statement to police, while urging them to consider issues of slum development projects in Bandra during the probe into the murder of his father and NCP leader Baba Siddique.
On one occasion, a developer had used abusive language against his father, Zeeshan Siddique told police.
The former MLA also claimed many developers were in constant touch with his father for redevelopment projects.
His statement is part of the chargesheet filed by police in connection with the killing of the former state minister on October 12, 2024.
Baba Siddique (66) was shot dead by three assailants outside his son's office in Mumbai's Bandra East area.
Zeeshan Siddique has told police he and his father were continuously fighting for the rights of slumdwellers in Mumbai's Bandra area, adding that a false case was registered against him for his objection towards a redevelopment project.
"There are many developers who were in regular contact with my father. My father had the habit of writing a diary about his daily work. I learnt that around 5.30 pm to 6 pm (on the day of the murder) my dad was contacted on his WhatsApp by Mohit Kambhoj (a BJP worker). Mohit wanted to meet my father with regard to a project in Bandra by Mundra Builders," Zeeshan said in his statement to the police.
The former MLA in the statement also said, "A builder during a meeting with certain persons regarding the SRA redevelopment project had used abusive words about my father. I request that all the above-mentioned matters be investigated in detail in the investigation of my father's murder."
Police have filed a more than 4,500-page chargesheet before a special MCOCA court in connection with the case.
It has been filed against 26 arrested accused, while three persons -- Shubham Lonkar, Yasin Akhthar and Anmol Bishnoi -- have been shown as wanted accused.
All the accused have been booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and are currently in judicial custody.
