UP Congress holds gruelling written test and interview to select media team, old-guard upset

In the Congress School of Learning under the new AICC President Rahul Gandhi, the Spokespersons and other office-bearers will now be selected after a Talent Hunt competition which includes a tough written test followed by gruelling interview.

Only a few days ago, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) President Raj Babbar had suddenly dissolved four departments of the state unit, including administration, organization, finance and the media. While administration and organization departments were revived within 24 hours, new team for the finance and media departments are yet to be selected.

The UPCC President had banned over two dozen party Spokespersons from talking to media on behalf of the party till a new media team was selected.  These so-called Spokespersons, who were hitherto acting as TV Shouters, Paper Tigers and Social Media Warriors, were suddenly rendered jobless.

A few among them were Spokespersons for over two decades. “The one who used to arrange tea, snacks and cigarettes for scribes was also made a UPCC Spokesperson,” quipped a senior journalist covering UPCC for over 20 years.

Most of them found a place in the media team by serving Sonia ji, Rahul Baba and Priyanka di during their annual or election time visits to Rae Bareli and Amethi than their competence, experience, knowledge, communication skills to defend the defenseless party in Uttar Pradesh.

These Gandhi family loyals were in a rude shock a couple of days ago when they were informed about selection of new media team through AICC President-approved Talent Hunt program. They were asked to submit their applications and be ready to face a written test and interview.

The much-awaited Talent Hunt program in UPCC was held on Thursday when about 70 aspirants to find a place in the media team appeared for the written test followed by the interview. Though the mandate was for the candidates between the age group of 35 to 50 but many old guards also appeared to retain their old positions in the new media team.

The AICC Communication Cell Convenor Priyanka Chaturvedi and Rohan Gupta were here with question papers. The question paper contained only 14 questions to test their political knowledge about party and its history and Uttar Pradesh. From easy ones like ‘how many parliamentary seats are there in Uttar Pradesh’ to tough ones like ‘UP is divided into how many divisions and blocks’ brought sweat on the faces of many appearing in the written test.

Many were seen using their mobile net to find answers to ‘List key failures of Modi government’ and ‘Main achievements of Manmohan government’.  Later, they were seen fumbling over answers when grilled during interviews, conducted by Raj Babbar, Priyanka and Rohan. The results would be declared on Saturday after checking answer sheets and marks scored in interviews.

“We are serving the party for decades not for this day that my loyalty and experience would be put to test before newcomers,” rued an old guard. “We are into politics not aspirants for civil services to go through written test and interview process,” fumed another.

Sanjay Dixit, a party rebel, mocked that such exercise should be done at commissionary level first and then at state level for better results. “When the party state unit is not strengthening the organization at grass-root level, how the young ones will join the Congress?” quipped Dixit.