Despite Rahul aura, YC poll is a farce

It is unlikely that Rahul Gandhi had anarchy in mind when he invited Gujarat’s youth to join politics. During his numerous visits to the state to persuade Gujarat’s youth to join the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), he always insisted that IYC workers must adhere to certain norms.

He repeatedly told them that they must strictly observe the age criteria (18-35 years of age) for members, practice clean, transparent politics, and keep criminals out of the Congress’s youth wing.

IYC workers, however, reduced all his principles to a complete farce on Tuesday, the first day of Youth Congress polls in the state. And, in Ahmedabad city, the elections collapsed into complete anarchy early in the day.

Innumerable polling booths were captured, some burnt, and at some others, polling had
to be stopped midway because of violence and fights. A booth was burnt down in Meghaninagar; in Odhav, a candidate was beaten black and blue by rivals. There were reports from Bapunagar and Gomtipur of scuffles breaking out at many places.

The entire exercise seemed to make fun of the strict principles for which former election commissioner JM Lyngdoh, who is supervising the IYC polls, is justly famous.

Bogus voting was rampant as voters of all ages were allowed to vote. The polls, which were expected to revitalise the Congress with youth power, proved to be a complete failure. Tuesday’s polls  were held to elect assembly-segment office-bearers of the Gujarat unit of the Youth Congress. Voting was fair and peaceful at some booths but such booths were notable exceptions.

DNA witnessed an incident at Mistry Chambers in Khanpur where one Zakirhussain Momin, 22, who happened to be passing by on the road outside, was called in and given the voting counter of some Shezad Patel. He was then asked to stand in a queue and vote for Rajesh Brambhatt.