Actor Ramya jumps into fray for YC Election

BANGALORE: The last date for filing nominations ended on Monday for electing a new president for the State Youth Congress for which several aspirants including Priyanka Kharge, son of the Union Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge and actor Ramya (Divyaspandana) are.According to Youth Congress sources, as the last date for filing of nomination ended on Monday, the election process would kick start from September 16 which will continue till September 21. As many as 4,58,102 members of the State Youth Congress are eligible to cast their votes to elect the new state youth president for which the process will start on September 23.The five-member panel will be elected in the first phase and it would prepare the electoral list and qualify to file nominations to contest for taluk, district, zonal and state body. Election of the State Youth Congress assumed much importance  with the entry of the popular actor Ramya.Ramya, who is said to be backed by senior state Congress leader D K Shivakumar has formally joined the youth Congress when AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi visited the state recently.Reacting to the entry of Ramya, Priyanka Kharge, a strong contender for the top post, said that anybody who comes forward to strengthen the party should be encouraged.Dismissing reports of a possibility of avoiding the election, Kharge said that it is just a rumour. “In every state the new president for the youth organisation is chosen through an election process which is conducted in a transparent manner, he said.