Former Bulandshahar YC president Nizam Malik was declared as Congress candidate from Sikandarabad last month. Even as he was on the campaign trail this week, the party replaced him with Jitendra Yadav, whose son marries Lalu’s daughter on January 28.

YC leaders from Bulandshahar arrived at Congress headquarters on Thursday for the hunger strike in a bid to force the party to change its decision. Their placards said it all: “Youth ka yeh apmaan, nahin sahega Hindustan”, “Dal badloo netaon ka sammaan, party karyakarta ka apmaan.”

There is growing resentment in the YC over the party’s decision to prefer “dal badloos (turncoats)” over those who responded to Rahul’s call to youth to join mainstream politics.

Bundelkhand YC president Rahul Roy, 28, was seeking party ticket from Jhansi. President of the state NSUI from 2007 to 2011 and holding the current post since August last year, Roy was confident of a ticket. The party, however, declared Brijendra Vyas as its candidate from Jhansi. Vyas was in the BSP and had contested as Independent against the Congress in the 2009 by-election for the seat.

Central UP Youth Congress president Tarun Patel wanted ticket from Lucknow North. After being ‘expelled’ by the BSP in July 2009, Neeraj Bora joined the Congress and was given the ticket.

Roy and Patel, however, told The Indian Express that they had no grudge as the party might have opted for “experienced” candidates who could win the seats.

Others are, however, questioning the party’s decision. “Rahulji is selling dreams to the youth. If these dreams are broken, it will damage not only the YC but also the country,” said a YC leader who lost the ticket to a former BSP leader.