Daman, Dhillon in race for Youth Cong president post

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 18

Former state NSUI president Daman Bajwa and former SOPU president Barinder Dhillon are among those in race for the post of Punjab Youth Congress president — elections to which are scheduled from November 28 to November 30.

Others six candidates in the race are Dhanwant Singh Jimmy, Iqbal Singh Grewal, Jaswinder Jassi, Parvinder Lapran, Vaneshwar Khera (Bunny) and Gurjot Dhindsa. The result would be declared on December 2. A total of 2.25 lakh voters, enrolled with the Youth Congress, will cast their vote.

A screening committee headed by Indian Youth Congress national secretary Santosh Kolkunda and comprising Amarpreet Lally, outgoing Punjab Youth Congress president; Vinit Kamboj, secretary incharge, Punjab Youth Congress, shortlisted these eight names. The final approval to the list was given by AICC joint secretary and IYC incharge Krishna Allavaru and Srinivas BV, interim president of Indian Youth Congress.

A senior Congress leader said by these elections, the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) aims to set the ball rolling to make the Punjab Youth Congress battle-ready for the 2022 state Assembly elections.

Apart from the president, four vice-presidents, five general secretaries, and 28 district presidents will also be elected.

Sources in Punjab Congress said ahead of the last parliamentary elections, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Punjab Affairs incharge Asha Kumari are learnt to have written to the Congress president against holding the elections saying it would result in factionalism. As the election process had already been initiated, it could not be stopped.

The Congress had increased the number of constituencies of the Indian Youth Congress to elect leaders across the country. Earlier, the constituencies were based on the pattern of the Lok Sabha seats in all states. Now, the constituencies will be based on the number of districts.