Fraud in Youth Cong polls alleged
ACCORDING TO a party insider, at least two contestants face serious criminal charges but they have managed to exert influence both at the state and central party levels to ensure that they are not barred, as well as filling the party coffers with funds generated through the ongoing membership drive.
The ongoing elections to the state Youth Congress appear to be caught up in unseemly controversies including allegations of membership enrolment fraud that involve buying voter ID card data from Mee Seva centres, and violations of the Congress youth wing’s policy of not allowing anyone facing criminal charges to contest the polls.
According to a party insider, at least two of the contestants face serious criminal charges but they have managed to exert influence both at the state and central party levels to ensure that they are not barred, as well as filling the party coffers with funds generated through the ongoing membership drive.
The Youth Congress polling ends on Sunday. The top three contestants are expected to be summoned to Delhi to face an interview with the party bosses, following which one would be appointed as state Youth Congress president.
There are at least seven candidates for the post: R. Shravan Rao a leader of the Congress’ student wing NSUI; Shiva Sena Reddy, believed to have the support of a powerful MLA-MP brother duo from the Congress; Saishankar, son of former MP Balram Naik; Vari Lalith, son of former PCC president and former MP Tusli Ram; Rakesh Shetkar, former MP Suresh Shetkar’s son; Arvind Kumar Yadav former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav’s son; and
Aamer Javeed.
Two of these are facing criminal cases — one involving illegal smuggling of liquor across the Delhi-Gurugram border this April, and another in a case relating to illegal sacrifice of buffaloes in a temple in Peddagudem village of Wanaparthy, party sources said.
Some of the candidates, it is learnt, have purchased voter ID card facsimiles from Mee Seva centres. Sources said more than 30 of these centres were involved in the sale of voter ID data.
“Telangana state has crossed 8 lakh active members of Youth Congress in the current drive which is impossible if everything is above board. After buying voter ID facsimiles, some candidates using their money power are uploading them and paying `50 per membership. They are using these fake memberships to cast online votes for themselves,” the party insider explained.
The All India Youth Congress, the source said, has become richer by `4 crore through the membership drive just from Telangana state. “The Youth Congress elections in the state are marred by frauds and violations. We hope the national party will take note and cancel these elections and conduct them properly and fairly,” a party source said.