In Congress people above 50 are also in youth Congress. Some of them cannot walk properly. Top leaders are all above 70.If you are rich getting congress ticket was very easy. Perhaps for the first time the leaders are taking a fitness test.
In a peculiar move, the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) has set a challenging task for those aspiring to be the party’s candidate in the elections.
With Uttarakhand going for Assembly polls early next year, the State PCC president Kishore Upadhyay, in an unprecedented decision, has announced that any candidate applying for the Congress ticket should be able to walk for “at least” 5 kilometres.
“In politics, till you do not connect with people, you cannot survive … Elections are nearing and we need to reach out to people. Hence, to be able to walk for at least 5 km is the minimum criterion for Congress workers and leaders who wish to get the party ticket to contest the polls,” Mr. Upadhyay told.
In a State where 70 per cent of the population resides in villages with roads that mostly remain disconnected due to frequent landslides, it is imperative for political leaders to be able to cover long distances by foot.
To make it to the Congress’ screening committee, the aspiring candidates will participate in a yatra — Samaveshi Satat Vikas Ke Liye Janasheesh Yatra — where they will walk at least 5 km. After the yatra, they will spend a night at a house in their constituencies.
The yatra, which will start on December 19 from Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar, will be organised across the 70 constituencies. “The Zilla Congress Committees will keep track of the yatra and keep us informed on the performance of the aspiring candidates,” Mr. Upadhyay said. The criterion, however, will not apply to candidates suffering from a physical condition.
