Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's talent hunt has hit a jackpot in the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Over 200 applicants, including 12 PhD holders, 22 doctors, five law graduates and several engineers have applied for top posts in the state youth Congress, reports The Economic Times.
The exercise includes registration of names, followed by interviews by a panel including Jagdish Tytler, Saleem Ahmad, Ashok Tanwar and coordinator Sanjay Bose. In Jammu, there were over 350 candidates lined up despite biting cold.
Top 10 performers, according to Saleem Ahmad, would be invited by Rahul Gandhi for a daylong brainstorming session. To be assisted by Wharton Business School-trained Kanishka Singh and Alwar, Rajasthan MP Jitendra Singh, Rahul will pick up the top team for the state Youth Congress.
Dubbed by a Srinagar tabloid as ‘baba's babies', the aspirants will be mainly well-qualified men and women who have been eyeing politics or who are unemployed.
Meet the men who aspire for Youth Congress in J&K:
Waqar Rasool Wani represents Banihal. He believes that Rahul has instilled new spirit in the Youth Congress. He aspires of bringing change in the way funds are utilized and governance is delivered in the NC-ruled state.
Irfan Naqeeb, a millionaire businessman who joined Congress last year says, Rahul initiated a revolution across the country and I am among the few who want this to be emulated for Kashmi.r He fells the Kashmiri youth have been exploited over the years and this has prevented them from contributing to nation-building.
Even the son of slain leader Ghulam Nabi Lone is one of the aspirants. Congress insiders say the move may be shelved because of groupism in the state unit with camps belonging to Saifuddin Soz and Ghulam Nabi Azad.
The current state Youth Congress chief Mohammad Amin Bhat was discovered by Indira Gandhi when he threw himself in front of her car and got a bank loan to build a hotel. Many youth congress leaders in the states landed in one controversy or the other. One was detained by CBI in a sex racket and the names of four others cropped up. Those not involved in sleaze have a record of being corrupt, politicians say in the valley.
