Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, May 31: Mohammad Shahnawaz Chaudhary was today elected as Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Youth Congress Committee (JKPYCC) president.
Haling from Poonch in Jammu region, Chaudhray bagged 1555 votes out of 4904 in elections that were held across the State. His nearest rival Pranab Shargotra who bagged 1458 votes was elected as Vice president of the JKPYCC. Abid Kashmiri, Sikander Jan, Manjeet Singh and Varinder Singh Chib were elected as State general secretaries.
While addressing a press conference in the evening soon after his election as president, Chaudhary said that his efforts will be to reach out to the youth of the State for a better strategy for the 2014 Assembly elections. He said that Youth Congress would be revitalized across the State.
Chaudhary said that the JKPYCC elections were historic as it was for the first time that PYCC President has been elected through the democratic process. He said the nomination process has been disbanded this time around adding that the elected representatives would work for the betterment of the people in the State.
“It has been observed that central schemes such as National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) and Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) have not reached the people of the State. The newly elected office bearers of PYCC would move from door to door and make the people aware about these schemes and their utility,” said Chaudhary.
He said that fate of Congress party in the 2014 assembly elections depends upon the success of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes. He said the PYCC office bearers would use their good offices and impress upon the State Government for effective and better implementation of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
“Youth Congress President and All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary, Rahul Gandhi who is our mentor was very keen to hold the youth elections in the State. It is all due to his interest and perseverance that we were able to hold the elections for youth Congress in the State. There was tremendous response to the election process and I am glad to be elected as JKPYCC president,” said Choudhary.
He accepted that youth in the state more so of Kashmir valley have lost interest in politics due to the political uncertainty over the past two decades. He said PYCC would work and strive hard so that more and more youth join the party more so since the 2014 Assembly elections are not that far off.
Choudhary said that the nomination system never gave a chance to the talented youth to come up and serve for the Congress party. He said only the children of Congress leaders moved ahead with the nomination system adding that time has come when talented youth should join the party ranks.
“Congress is the only party that has solution to the problems confronted by the masses and we would be guided by the party principles all along. We would carry forward the ideology of the party to the people living in the different regions of the State. Training would be provided to the youth at different levels and it would be ensured that Youth Congress comes up as strong youth political party of the State,” said Choudhary.
He said that the newly elected team would work according to an action plan and membership drive would be launched across the State so that more youth join in. He asked the youth to come out of the mindset that Government jobs would be given to them. He said proper counseling would be given to the youth so that they start their own ventures or work in the private sector both within the State and outside the State.
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