UP Congress conducts written test, practice interviews for potential spokespersons
The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Congress party has conducted a written test and interviewed candidates for its new-media team in UP, introducing a system the party had tried in Gujarat and Karnataka. At least 65 Congressmen took the test at the UPCC office in Lucknow yesterday. The candidates included some of those who have previously been the party's spokesperson in the state.
Test included questions on UP, naming 'key-failures' of BJP
The written test had 14 questions, including the number of districts and zones in UP, the party's poll-percentage and number of seats in previous elections. The candidates also had to answer the "key-failures" of the BJP government at the center and state, and the main achievements of the Manmohan Singh government. Congress national spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi and AICC social-media coordinator Rohan Gupta interviewed them.
They have to be well-versed with the state's issues: Chaturvedi
"If you want to be a spokesperson for the state and represent it, you need to have the information about it. You need to have knowledge about basic things," Chaturvedi said. She said this is a way to assess them as they will be the face of the party. "They have to be well-versed with our legacy and issues in their state," she added.
Senior Cong leader wants media-team with adequate woman and youth
A senior Congress leader, who has been the party spokesman for a long time and who appeared in the test, said it is aimed at cutting the flab and have a leaner media team with adequate representation of women and youth. "Earlier it was a team of 22 spokespersons but (the number) is expected to be much lesser this time," he said.
Some candidates were confused and were consulting each other
On reports that some candidates were confused and were consulting others during the test, UPCC president Raj Babbar said: "Things are being blown out of proportion. If someone asks me such questions I will also have to think for answers." Last week, Babbar dissolved his media-team and three other departments for appointing a new team in preparation for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
