Young Congress

Addressing a conference of minority youths here, the young Congress leader did not for once mention the attacks on Biharis in other parts of the country. He, however, said no one could deny the contribution of Biharis towards economic rejuvenation of other states.

"You only need to look within and introspect why your own state has lagged behind during the last twenty years," he told the gathering while reminding it of the fact that Bihar contributed handsomely to the IAS and IPS cadres.

The Congress' youth icon, during his 50-minute stay at Asfaquallah Stadium at Khagra, said the party would henceforth not impose candidates and leaders on people. "Work sincerely and with dedication to make the Congress a cadre-based party," he said.

Source: Times Of India 'Make Cong a cadre-based party'

On a visit here to strengthen the Youth Congress in Tamil Nadu, where the party has not been in power for the last 40 years, he made it clear that the DMK-Congress alliance in the state as well as at the Centre was working well.

Asked whether the successful experiment by the Congress of not having any tie-ups in UP in the last Lok Sabha elections, where its numbers went from nine to 21, would be replicated in other states, he said, "the idea that the UP concept can be applied universally across the country is a shallow idea.

"I think you have to look at every state and look at the dynamics within each state," he said.

"UP has a particular balance, a particular politics and we were in discussions with the Samajwadi Party. Once we had assessed all options, it became clear to us that the better option for us is to fight alone," he said.

As far as the DMK is concerned, he said, "We have a good relationship with them both here and at the Centre". "The question whether we will fight it alone is not on the table. We are very happy with our alliance with the DMK."

Gandhi parried questions on why he has not met DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi during the current visit.

AHUL GANDHI: Present. Seen ntering the Central Hall of Parliament ith mother Sonia Gandhi. While Sonia ook a seat in the front row, Rahul seted in the back row, next to party MP atish Sharma.

UPRIYA SULE: Present. Was een sitting with Trinamool Congress Ps in the House.

AVIN JINDAL: Present. Laid the eport of the Standing Committee on ome Affairs on the table of the House.

ITIN PRASADA, BHAN- WAR JITENDRA SINGH, AMDULLAH SAYEED, ASHOK TANWAR: Present. All of them were seen sitting in the back around Rahul Gandhi.

JAYANT CHAUDHARY, AKHILESH YADAV, DHAR- MENDRA YADAV: Present. Akhilesh and Dharmendra were seen receiving the blessings of former Prime Minister Deve Gowda after the House was adjourned.

MAUSAM NOOR, PRIYA DUTT: Present. Priya arrived a little late to the Central Hall for the President's speech.

MEENAKSHI NATRAJAN, SHRUTI CHAUDHARY, NILESH RANE, SACHIN PILOT: Present. Were seen listening to the obituaries in the Lok Sabha.

M B RAJESH, P K BIJU: Seen sitting in the back and talking with the members.

ANURAG SINGH THAKUR, JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA, JYOTI MIRDHA, MANICKA TAGORE, SANDEEP DIKSHIT, VIJAY INDER SINGLA, MILIND DEORA, RAVNEET SINGH BITTU, MANISH TEWARI, JAY PANDA: Present

VARUN GANDHI, DEEPENDER HOODA, DUSHYANT SINGH, AGATHA SANGMA: Absent

KANIMOZHI: Absent

His success with restructuring of the Indian Youth Congress has inspired the party to initiate changes for democratising and broadbasing the organisation.

On Monday, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi discussed with leaders Pranab Mukherjee, A.K. Antony, Ahmed Patel, Veerappa Moily and Digvijay Singh the issue of party reforms.

The changes will begin once the ongoing organisational elections leading to the re-election of Sonia as party chief are over by the middle of the year.

"The party reforms will be taken up after the present organisational elections and will involve restructuring the party organization, elections and membership,'' said general secretary Digvijay Singh.
"The objective is to make the organization more homogenous...'' he said The meeting discussed the summary of a report that the Group on Future Challenges and Opportunities had submitted to Sonia almost a year ago on party reforms. The Group, headed by Moily, also included Rahul, who has been trying to initiate changes in the Youth Congress.

These changes involve an open and democratic election of officebearers, a transparent membership drive and an organisational restructuring that synchronises the party unit with the parliamentary or assembly constituency or a panchayat units.

The Youth Congress also earmarks a social quota for minorities, women and other disadvantaged groups in its office bearers.

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi hopes to have more than 1 crore members by the time organsational polls are conducted in December.

" Rahul is investing a lot of time and energy on the IYC and that is giving a lot of confidence to youngsters. By the time the polls are over, the IYC will be the largest organisation in the world," IYC president and Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar said.

Rahul has engaged the Foundation for Advanced Management of Elections ( FAME), headed by former election commissioner K. J. Rao, to conduct transparent polls in the IYC. Rao will be assisted by former chief election commissioners J. M. Lyngdoh and N. Gopalaswami.

As many as 12.5 lakh members will be appointed officebearers at the panchayat level from various castes and communities, with special emphasis on SC/ ST and minorities.

Plans are afoot to make the youth body a vibrant, professional outfit which would nurture competent leaders for the parent party in the changing global scenario.

For this, experts from various fields, including politics and management, are being drafted to impart training to the youth from the panchayat to the national level.

Source: Mail Today Rahul plans to make IYC largest youth body

RAHUL GANDHI: Present.
Spotted outside House.

JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA: Seen talking to Mamata Banerjee.

DUSHYANT SINGH, VARUN GANDHI: The two sat in the last row amidst the commotion over Telangana and talked to party MP Yashodhara Raje Scindia.

SACHIN PILOT, JITIN PRASADA: Both sat together and chatted even as pro and anti-Telegana MPs raised slogans

SUPRIYA SULE: Present.
Had a starred question relating to Millennium Development Goals that couldn't be taken up.

MILIND DEORA, PRIYA DUTT, SHRUTI CHOUDHRY: The three sat quietly amidst the din while party MP Madhu Yakshi Goud stood beside them with a `Jai Telangana' placard.

NAVIN JINDAL: Had a starred question relating to exodus of doctors from medical insti tutes which could not be taken up as the House was adjourned during Question Hour.

SANDEEP DIKSHIT, JYOTI MIRDHA: Present. Jyoti presented the report of the Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare.

AKHILESH YADAV, DHARMENDRA YADAV: Akhilesh was seen entering the House after father Mulayam Singh Yadav had walked out over bills being passed without discussion.

P K BIJU, M B RAJESH: The CPM MPs were seen chatting and later followed party leaders to stage a walkout.

DEEPENDER HOODA: Absent. Away in constituency.

HAMDULLAH SAYEED, . JAYANT CHAUDHARY: Away on Parliamentary tours.

MANICKA TAGORE, VIJAY INDER SINGLA, RAVNEET SINGH BITTU: Present.

MAUSAM NOOR, KALIKESH N SINGH DEO, ANURAG SINGH THAKUR, BHANWAR JITENDRA SINGH, ASHOK TANWAR, MEENAKSHI NATARAJAN, AGATHA SANGMA, MANISH TEWARI, NILESH RANE: Not present.

KANIMOZHI: Present.

RAHUL GANDHI: Spotted outside House.

DUSHYANT SINGH, M B RAJESH: Present. The MPs from the Right and Left of the political spectrum had a common question, relating to loss making routes of Air India, but could not ask it as Question Hour was over before their turns came.

SACHIN PILOT: Spotted in the Rajya Sabha during the discussion over Railway Appropriation Bill.

SUPRIYA SULE: She and DMK MP Kanimozhi spoke in spoke support of Women's Reservation Bill outside Parliament before driving away together.

JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA: Seen sitting quietly in the back row.

VARUN GANDHI: Present.
Had un-starred questions over revision of Article 243 relating to Special Economic Zones, Judicial impact, supply of infrastructure logistics for natural gas, Societies Registration Act and removal of toxic wastes.

MILIND DEORA, SANDEEP DIKSHIT: Seen talking during the question Hour. Milind laid the report of the Standing Committee on IT on the table of the House.

JITIN PRASADA, PRIYA DUTT: Seen talking.
Jitin also laid the annual report relating to Oil India on the table of the House.

SHRUTI CHOUDHRY, JYOTI MIRDHA, MEENAKSHI NATRAJAN, NILESH RANE: Present. Seen sitting quietly amidst the commotion in the House over Telengana and other issues.

NAVIN JINDAL: Had a starred question relating to Innovation Promotion Group (IPG) bu Question Hour was over before his question could be taken up.

MANISH TEWARI: Seen talking to party MP Mohd Azharuddin.

AKHILESH YADAV, DHARMENDRA YADAV: Both seen raising slogans in the House opposing Women's Reservation Bill.

AGATHA SANGMA: Not seen in the Lok Sabha but spotted in the Rajya Sabha.

DEEPENDER HOODA, BHANWAR JITENDRA SINGH, MANICKA TAGORE, ASHOK TANWAR, P K BIJU: Present.

HAMDULLAH SAYEED, JAYANT CHAUDHARY, MAUSAM NOOR, KALIKESH N SINGH DEO, ANURAG SINGH THAKUR, VIJAY INDER SINGLA, RAVNEET SINGH BITTU: Not present in the House.

KANIMOZHI: Present.

VARUN GANDHI: Present. Had a starred question related to water crisis.

JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA: Seen in the Rajya Sabha.

DUSHYANT SINGH: Remained seated and did not come into the Well of the House to protest against price rise.

KALIKESH N SINGH DEO: The BJD MP had the first starred question for today, relating to irrigation projects.

SUPRIYA SULE: Seen talking for a long time to pro-Telegana MPs when the House was adjourned.

MILIND DEORA, JITIN PRASADA: Milind was seen talking with party MPs Mohd Azharuddin and Francisco Sardinha when the House stood adjourned. Later, he and Jitin sat together and talked.

SANDEEP DIKSHIT, SACHIN PILOT, SHRUTI CHOUDHRY, JYOTI MIRDHA: Watched quietly the pandemonium over price rise and Telengana.

M B RAJESH, P K BIJU: Both the CPM members joined others to raise slogans against price rise.

MANISH TEWARI: Was seen talking to MPs from Punjab during commotion in the House.

NAVIN JINDAL: Present.

DEEPENDER HOODA: Not seen inside the House but attended a Parliamentary Committee meeting on HRD later.

AKHILESH YADAV, DHARMENDRA YADAV: Present.

MEENAKSHI NATARAJAN: Did not attend Parliament. Occupied with civic polls in her state Madhya Pradesh.

HAMDULLAH SAYEED, JAYANT CHAUDHARY: Absent. Hamdullah is in Copenhagen and Jayant is in Germany.

RAHUL GANDHI, ANURAG SINGH THAKUR, NILESH RANE, PRIYA DUTT, RAVNEET SINGH BITTOO, BHANWAR JITENDRA SINGH, AGATHA SANGMA: All were in Delhi. Some reached Parliamnet when it was adjourned for the day while others kept away after hearing that it had been adjourned.

MAUSAM NOOR: Absent.

KANIMOZHI: Present.

RAHUL GANDHI: Present

VARUN GANDHI: Present. Had a starred question on import of pulses but could not ask it as Question Hour was over before his turn could come.

DUSHYANT SINGH, ANURAG SINGH THAKUR: Present. Anurag asked a question relating to establishment of NSG hub in his home state Himachal Pradesh.

PRIYA DUTT: Present. Was seen thumping the desk when JD(U) MP Meena Singh spoke regarding security of women.

NAVEEN JINDAL, SANDEEP DIKSHIT, NILESH RANE: Present.
All of them were spotted in the House for a brief period during the post-lunch session.

JITIN PRASADA: Present.
Answered questions in the Rajya Sabha

JYOTI MIRDHA, SHRUTI CHOUDHRY: Present. Shruti had an unstarred question relating to agricultural schemes.

MILIND DEORA: Present.
Had an unstarred question through which he wanted to know whether the government had any plans to introduce telephone facility for jail inmates.

SUPRIYA SULE: Present.
Laid statements of the Standing Committee on External Affairs on the table of the House.

M B RAJESH: Not seen but had an unstarred question relating to direct income support to farmers P K BIJU: Not seen inside the House but was spotted outside

RAVNEET SINGH BITTOO, BHANWAR JITENDRA SINGH, AGATHA SANGMA, DEEPENDER HOODA, MANICKA TAGORE, MEENAKSHI NATARAJAN: Present.

SACHIN PILOT, JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA, JAYANT CHAUDHARY, HAMDULLAH SAYEED, VIJAY INDER SINGLA, AKHILESH YADAV, KALIKESH N SINGH DEO, MAUSAM NOOR, DHARMENDRA YADAV: Not seen.

KANIMOZHI: Present

RAHUL GANDHI:  Present. SP chief whip Reoti Raman Singh was seen talking to him and also showing him some papers.

VARUN GANDHI:  Present. Asked a supplementary question on improving teledensity in rural areas. He also had a starred question on development funds for gram panchayats listed against his name but could not ask the same due to paucity of time.

ANURAG SINGH THAKUR:  Present. Had unstarred questions relating to financial assistance for cultivation of Jatropha and construction of Rohtang tunnel.

DUSHYANT SINGH:  Present. Had an unstarred question relating to import of marble.

MANISH TEWARI: Present. Had an unstarred question relating to norms under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

SACHIN PILOT, DEEPENDER HOODA:  Present. Sachin answered question during Question Hour relating to his department. In the second half, he and Deepender were seen talking in the last row .

M B RAJESH: CPM MP raised the issue of Headley during Zero Hour and alleged his links with the CIA.

SANDEEP DIKSHIT:  Seen talking to party MP J P Agarwal.

NAVEEN JINDAL:  Spotted for a brief period during the post-lunch session.

JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA:  Papers listed against his name were laid on the table of the House by someone else as he was not present.

MEENAKSHI NATRAJAN, JYOTI MIRDHA, NILESH RANE, HAMDULLAH SAYEED, PRIYA DUTT:  Seen following the proceedings quietly, both during pre-and post-lunch sessions.

JITIN PRASADA, RAVNEET SINGH BITTOO, BHANWAR JITENDRA SINGH, AGATHA SANGMA:  All seen in the first half but missing in the post-lunch session.

SUPRIYA SULE, VIJAY INDER SINGLA, MANICKA TAGORE:  Present.

ASHOK TANWAR, JAYANT CHAUDHARY, AKHILESH YADAV, MILIND DEORA, SHRUTI CHOUDHARY, P K BIJU, KALIKESH N SINGH DEO, MAUSAM NOOR, DHARMENDRA YADAV: Not seen.

AHUL GANDHI: Present. Seen walking inide Parliament and refusing to talk to journalists on he Telagana row.

ARUN GANDHI: Present. Asked a question regarding protection to consumers against companies making misleading claims to popularise their products.

MANISH TEWARI: Had a question relating to foreign investment in Indian stock markets.

ANURAG SINGH THAKUR, DUSHYANT SINGH: Present.
Dushyant was seen talking to party MP Nishikant Dubey during the pre-lunch session.

JITIN PRASADA, DEEPENDER HOODA: Seen sitting together and talking.

HAMDULLAH R SAYEED: Seen B coming in and going out of the House. HANWAR

JITENDRA SINGH, SHOK TANWAR: Present. Both were seen aving the House together in the afternoon.

M B RAJESH: Not seen, but had a question elating to legislation on medical education listed gainst his name.

GATHA SANGMA, RAVNEET INGH BITTOO: Present. Seen sitting quietly nd following the House proceedings during the rst half.

YOTIRADITYA SCINDIA, SANDEEP IKSHIT, JAYANT CHAUDHARY, VIAY INDER SINGLA, NILESH RANE: resent.

AVEEN JINDAL, SUPRIYA SULE, KHILESH YADAV, JYOTI MIRDHA, MEENAKSHI NATRAJAN, MILIND EORA, SACHIN PILOT, MANICKA AGORE, SHRUTI CHOUDHRY, P K IJU, KALIKESH N SINGH DEO, MAUSAM NOOR, DHARMENDRA ADAV: Not seen.

ANIMOZHI: Absent

RAHUL GANDHI: Spotted coming to Parliament in the afternoon and then leaving after a couple of hours.

JITIN PRASADA: Present, answered questions relating to his ministry during the Question Hour.

SUPRIYA SULE: Present, asked a question relating to government's intervention to protect investors with regards to corporate frauds.

AGATHA SANGMA: Present. She, along with some other ministers, led a delegation of students from all the eight northeastern states studying in Delhi to meet the Prime Minister in the context of recent incidents of violence against them.

MANICKA TAGORE: Present, asked a question on whether the government had plans to convert Madurai airport into an international airport.

JAYANT CHAUDHARY: Sat through the debate over the Sugarcane Bill.

MANISH TEWARI: Present, asked a question relating to safety measures in oil depots, also had supplementary questions.

MILIND DEORA: Seen sitting along with party MP R P N SINGH in the first half and Azharuddin in the second half.

BHANWAR JITENDRA SINGH, ASHOK TANWAR: Both spotted sitting together in the last row and talking during the first half.

DEEPENDER HOODA: Was spotted in the House for a brief period.

SANDEEP DIKSHIT: Present, was seen in Parliament corridors.

SACHIN PILOT: Seen in the Rajya Sabha, occupied with his cellphone during the Liberhan debate.

JYOTI MIRDHA, MEENAKSHI NATRAJAN: Seen sitting together inside the House and following the proceedings attentively.

SHRUTI CHOUDHRY: Seen listening to comments of party MP Lal Singh when BJP leader Yashwant Sinha spoke on supplementary demands for grants.

JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA, ANURAG SINGH THAKUR, M B RAJESH, NILESH RANE, VIJAY INDER SINGLA, P K BIJU, RAVNEET SINGH BITTOO, HAMDULLAH SAYEED: Present.

AKHILESH YADAV, VARUN GANDHI, NAVEEN JINDAL, DUSHYANT SINGH, KALIKESH N SINGH DEO, MAUSAM NOOR, DHARMENDRA YADAV: Not seen.

KANIMOZHI: Absent

RAHUL GANDHI: Was seen in the House for a brief period. Party MP PRIYA DUTT was seen reaching talking to him.

JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA: He too was seen walking up to Rahul Gandhi's seat and talking to him.

DEEPENDER HOODA: Stood to protest the remark of a BSP member that being sons of chief ministers, they would not know what fear was. The BSP member said so in context of the danger posed by China while participating in the discussion over Indo-China relations.

SANDEEP DIKSHIT: Spoke over Indo-China relations and rejected senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi's view that China posed a grave danger to India .

JAYANT CHAUDHARY: Expressing concern over TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao's health, he lamented that the government was talking to terrorist organisations but not to those raising important issues like creation of smaller states.

SUPRIYA SULE: Asked a question on secondary education.

AKHILESH YADAV: Raised his hand to ask supplementary over secondary education during Question Hour but did not get an opportunity.

VARUN GANDHI: Present. Had a question relating to National Action Plan of Climate Change but it could not be taken up.

NAVEEN JINDAL: Had a question relating to village education committees but was not present in the House during Question Hour.

M B RAJESH: Not seen inside the House but spotted in the corridors.

HAMDULLAH SAYEED, ASHOK TANWAR, BHANWAR JITENDRA SINGH: All were seen sitting together and talking in the last row during the pre-lunch session.

DUSHYANT SINGH: Present. Seen sitting alone in a corner and reading some papers.

ANURAG SINGH THAKUR: Seen chatting with party MP NISHIKANT DUBEY in the last row during the pre-lunch session.

NILESH RANE: Seen sitting quietly in the last row and listening to the proceedings in the House.

JYOTI MIRDHA, MEENAKSHI NATRAJAN: Seen sitting together.

MILIND DEORA, SACHIN PILOT, MANICKA TAGORE, VIJAY INDER SINGLA: Present.
SHRUTI CHOUDHRY, P K BIJU, MANISH TEWARI, RAVNEET SINGH BITTU, KALIKESH N SINGH DEO, JITIN PRASADA, AGATHA SANGMA, MAUSAM NOOR, DHARMENDRA YADAV: Not seen.

KANIMOZHI: Absent

RAHUL GANDHI: Did not attend Parliament as he was away in Uttar Pradesh

ANURAG SINGH THAKUR: Was at the forefront of slogan shouting by BJP members who trooped into the well of the House demanding apology from Congress MP Beni Prasad Verma for making unparliamentary remarks against Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

MILIND DEORA: Was seen sitting with cricketer-turned-Congress MP Azharuddin during the Liberhan debate.

AKHILESH YADAV, DHARMENDRA YADAV: Present.
Akhilesh was seen talking to Beni Prasad Verma amidst efforts in the House to urge him to apologise for his remarks against Vajpayee.

VARUN GANDHI: Sat through the debate on the Liberhan report and was seen raising his voice to counter the treasury benches.
Even had a question relating to cold storage facilities.

JAYANT CHAUDHARY: Present. Asked a supplementary to Varun Gandhi's question.

DEEPENDER HOODA, PRIYA DUTT, SHRUTI A DUTT, SHRUTI CHOUDHRY, JYOTI MIRDHA, MEENAKSHI NATRAJAN, SANDEEP DIKSHIT, NILESH RANE: Present.All of them sat through the heated exchanges between the Opposition and the treasury benches over the Liberhan re port.

M B RAJESH, P K BIJU: Present. The duo were seen raising their voice to de fend CPI's Gurudas Dasgupta who came under attack from BJP's Sushma Swaraj.

SACHIN PILOT, MAN ISH TEWARI, MAN ICKA TAGORE, VIJAY INDER SINGLA, RAVNEET SINGH BITTOO: Present.

KALIKESH N SINGH DEO, NAVEEN JIN DAL, SUPRIYA SULE, JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA, JITIN PRASADA, AGATHA SANGMA, DUSHYANT SINGH, BHANWAR JITENDRA SINGH, ASHOK TANWAR, HAM DULLAH SAYEED, MAUSAM NOOR: Not seen

KANIMOZHI: Not seen

RAHUL GANDHI, MILIND DEORA, SACHIN PILOT, JITIN PRASADA, SANDEEP DIKSHIT:  Were seen talking during the pre-lunch session. Interestingly, BJP MP Harin Pathak was also part of the gathering.

SUPRIYA SULE, JAYANT CHAUDHARY, JYOTI MIRDHA, M B RAJESH:  Participated in the discussion on climate change and earned a special mention from Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh.

VARUN GANDHI, DUSHYANT SINGH:  Present. Both asked question during Question Hour. Varun, however, was missing during the climate change discussion in the postlunch session even as his mother Menaka Gandhi sat through it.

NAVEEN JINDAL:  Seen sitting with party MP Satpal Maharaj and Lal Singh in the second half.

NILESH RANE, SHRUTI CHOUDHRY:  Both seen in the House late in the afternoon.

MEENAKSHI NATRAJAN:  Listened to the discussion on climate change intently and even thumped the desk to encourage participating young MPs.

DEEPENDER HOODA:  Present. Seen urging the Chair to allow MP Jyoti Mirdha to speak a little longer on climate change.

JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA, P K BIJU, KALIKESH N SINGH DEO, VIJAY INDER SINGLA, ANURAG SINGH THAKUR, MANICKA TAGORE, JAY PANDA:  Present.

PRIYA DUTT, MANISH TEWARI, HAMDULLAH SAYEED, DUSHYANT SINGH, AKHILESH YADAV, DHARMENDRA YADAV, MAUSAM NOOR:  Did not attend.

AGATHA SANGMA, RAVNEET SINGH BITTU, BHANWAR JITENDRA SINGH, ASHOK TANWAR:  Not seen.

RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR:  Present.

KANIMOZHI: Participated in the debate on Self Help Groups (SHGs).