The Congress is trying to expand its party base in West Bengal through a membership drive of its youth wing, the Youth Congress, by Rahul Gandhi ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled for 2011.

Reminiscent of the Congress system post-Independence dismantled by Indira Gandhi, the initiative will be launched at his rally on September 6 and completed within three months. This is one of Rahul Gandhi’s pet projects as Youth Congress president.

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Preparations for the drive have been ongoing in the state during the past month and half. Members of the Congress youth brigade like Vijay Inder Singla, Member of Parliament (MP) from Sangrur, have held meetings with party workers regularly.

The drive is targeting over 42,000 panchayats and 51,476 polling booths in the state. The process of enrollment will follow a set pattern: “Five people will be enrolled per booth. This will happen based on the electoral list available. In the panchayat level, elections of office bearers will be based on decisions of ground-level workers,” said Singla.

Terming himself and other members of the Congress as foot soldiers of the party before ministers or office bearers, Pilot was quick to deflect potential controversy on the Congress competing with the Trinamool Congress, by stating that the drive had nothing to do with the ensuing election.

“The process has been completed in 14 states before Bengal. It is aimed at developing Congress strength and is a part of Rahul Gandhi’s national vision for the party," said Pilot.

The democracatisation process and the spirit of the 73rd and 74th Amendments pertaining to empowering panchayats and nagarpalikas will be preserved here as well.

“Three seats for office bearers will be reserved-one for a woman, one for a member from a minority community and one for a member from scheduled caste (SC) or schedule tribe (ST),” Singla further elaborated.

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