This step is taken in view of large number of youth voters in the state who will decide the fate of 80 Lok Sabha seats crucial for all the political parties.

Senior vice-president of state Congress and in charge of communication, Satyadeo Tripathi, said that more then 20 per cent candidates for Lok Sabha from UP will be among the youth. He further said that important responsibility would be given to youth wings of the party to campaign for party candidates.

Keeping the demand from youth organisations that new entrants to the party should not be given tickets, Congress has decided that anybody who joined party after 2012 assembly polls will not be considered for nomination for Lok Sabha polls.

Prominence has been given to youth while constituting 280 plus state executive of UP Congress committee. In order to accommodate veteran Congress leaders, now an advisory council of 110 members is being constituted to seek advice from elders from time to time.

Meanwhile UP Youth Congress has announced its programme to start ‘padayatra’ and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will join the yatra somewhere on the route.

The decision to hold ‘padayatra’ was taken at the leadership development convention held in Lucknow recently. Much significance is being attached to this convention, which was also attended by NSUI and other youth wings of the party.

Senior leaders of NSUI and Youth Congress discussed the issues concerning Lok Sabha polls and their participation. As per the programme all the four UPYC four zones will begin the ‘padayatra’ on the same day and with central zone starting from Sultanpur.

The leaders from UPTC and NSUI wants that congress manifesto should address to the demands from young voters of the country.

The members of UPYC and NSUI want that the party high command should not give party ticket to any criminal or corrupt persons. Attempt should be made to find out genuine persons to represent the Lok Sabha constituency

At a time when Congress is facing difficult task to retain its tally of 21 seats in Lok Sabha the pressure is on party high command to give party ticket to persons with a clean image.

The members of UP Youth Congress and NSUI have welcomed Rahul Gandhi’s decision to select party candidate in two Lok Sabha constituencies from grassroot through voting. They want more seats should be included, besides Sant Kabirnagar and one in western UP to be announced later on. (IPA)