Local body polls: Party to give 50 pc tickets to youth, says Rajasthan Cong chief
Jaipur: Ahead of the upcoming Panchayat Raj and urban local body elections in Rajasthan, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Govind Singh Dotasra has announced that the party would reserve 50% of its tickets for young candidates, describing the move as an effort to bring new leadership into grassroots politics.
Addressing a workshop of the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sangathan at the PCC headquarters in Jaipur, Dotasra said the Congress aims to strengthen youth participation in local governance by giving them greater representation in the upcoming elections.
“The Congress will give 50% of tickets to youth candidates in the Panchayat and urban body elections,” Dotasra said, adding that the decision would provide opportunities for energetic and emerging leaders at the village, block and ward levels.
The Congress leader accused the BJP government of delaying local body elections and weakening the Panchayati Raj system. According to Dotasra, the state government was reluctant to hold the elections on time and acted only after the Rajasthan High Court intervened.
He alleged that the delay resulted in a loss of nearly Rs 300 crore in Central and state grants for Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies.
He further claimed that development work in villages and towns had suffered because elected representatives’ terms had ended and administrative officers were running local bodies, leading to increased corruption. As part of its election preparations, the Congress will conduct intensive organisational meetings across all districts of Rajasthan until July 30 to mobilise party workers and strengthen its grassroots network ahead of the polls.
Dotasra also targeted the BJP government over the recurring controversies surrounding competitive examinations, including NEET.
Alleging repeated irregularities and paper leaks in 2024, 2025 and 2026, he said both the Centre and the Rajasthan government had failed to take effective action. Drawing a comparison with the previous Congress government, Dotasra said Rajasthan had enacted a stringent anti-paper leak law and taken action against those involved during its tenure.
“Had the Centre adopted the law brought by the Congress government in Rajasthan, the situation would not have reached a stage where the resignations of the Union Education Minister and the Rajasthan Education Minister are being demanded,” he said. The PCC chief demanded the immediate resignation of Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar, holding him accountable for the alleged failures in tackling examination irregularities.