Rahul Gandhi Personally Interviews Young Leaders to Pick 120 Congress Secretaries

<p>The Indian National Congress is overhauling its organisation from the top down, with Rahul Gandhi personally leading a direct interview process to select 120 new national secretaries and break what the party calls a long-standing culture of recommendation letters and drawing-room politics.</p>
<p>Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Organisation General Secretary KC Venugopal are sitting across from leaders from across the country in Delhi, conducting face-to-face interviews to identify young, ground-level workers for national secretary positions. So far, approximately 30 leaders have been interviewed, called in batches of 10.</p>
<p>Rahul Gandhi is reported to have a detailed report card on each leader's work ahead of the interviews. After returning from his Rae Bareli tour, he is expected to complete the remaining interview rounds. In all, 120 leaders are to be named as new national secretaries. Party sources say the Congress is considering replacing more than 60 percent of its existing secretaries as part of this shake-up.</p>
<p>The highest priority in the selection process is being given to young leaders who have worked on the ground over a sustained period, or who have demonstrated their capability as observers during the party's Organisation Creation campaign.</p>
<p>This is an idea Rahul Gandhi has held since entering politics in 2004. He ran similar interview-based and merit-driven selection experiments within the Youth Congress and the NSUI, but those efforts were hampered by resistance from senior leaders and internal party conflicts. The Congress now says the conditions have changed, with a new generation of leaders rising at the district, state, and national levels.</p>
<p>The broader message from the party leadership is direct: no godfather, no recommendation letter, and no legacy connection will be enough to secure a position. Work ethic, grassroots presence, and a clear vision will be the only criteria for selection.</p>