NATION | Thursday, February 4, 2010 | Email | Print |  | Back
Congress democratisation remains a distant dream
PNS | New Delhi
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi might be promoting democratisation of organisation, but under him the Youth Congress seems to be still following the age-old practice of choosing representatives on the basis of caste and dynasty. Take the example of Rajiv Satav, a first-time MLA from Maharashtra. He was hand-picked by Rahul on Wednesday to head the Indian Youth Congress.
Interestingly, Satav has a political lineage. His mother Rajni Satav is a former Minister and Maharashtra Women’s Commission chairman. He got into politics because of his mother’s influence, which even reportedly worked to get him a ticket. Last year, Satav fought Assembly election from Kalamnuri constituency in Hingoli district of Maharashtra.
The decision was taken by Rahul, who is AICC general secretary in-charge of the Indian Youth Congress and the NSUI, after meeting the office-bearers of the Youth Congress. Satav, an MLA from Kalamnuri in Maharashtra, replaces Ashok Tanwar, the MP from Sirsa.
Party sources said that Rahul Gandhi held discussions with a large number of office-bearers of the IYC from different States before arriving at the decision to make Satav the new president of the organisation.
Sources said that the decision is clearly weighed by the party’s desire to promote an OBC from a State other than Haryana, UP, Bihar or rest of north India. Satav is the third Youth Congress chief from Maharashtra. He has been preceded by Mukul Wasnik and Gurudas Kamat. A senior leader said, “There was also a view in Youth Congress that Rahul’s coterie of confidantes is dominated by Thakurs or Rajputs - like Kanishk Singh, Bhanwar Jitendra Singh and even Digvijay Singh.” Satav’s selection is seen as an attempt to allay such complaints.
The 35-year old Satav beat other youth leaders, including two-time MLA from Khilchipur in MP Priyavrat Singh and Raja Amrendra Singh from Muktesar in Punjab.
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