JOIN USAddressing the two-day national convention of elected Youth Congress office bearers in New Delhi, Chidambaram said, “I want to assure all of you that I firmly believe that older leaders must at some stage step back and give way to younger leaders. The median age in India is 25 years and that means one half of population of this country is under the age of 25 years.”
Youth leadership
Party general secretary Birendra also joined the chorus and said that it was only the youth leadership under Rahul which can see the party through in the prevailing adverse situation.
In his 13-minute speech at the convention amid cheers from almost 7,000 delegates drawn from different parts of the country, 41-year-old Rahul Gandhi also exhorted youth to join politics as “biggest corruption is in the country’s political system”.
“People talk about fighting corruption. The biggest corruption is in the political system. We cannot wage a war against corruption if we do not change the political system. The corruption in political system cannot be fought unless the youth are involved,” said Rahul Gandhi, asking the youth to join him in this fight.
Dual push
The dual push from the party seniors came amid speculation that Rahul Gandhi will soon take charge as working president of the 125-year-old party.
Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh, who is also considered a political mentor of the young Rahul Gandhi was the first to make this bid at the 83rd plenary session of the party held at Burari in 2010.
“Now, our expiry date is nearing,” Singh had said at the session, stressing, “I am confident Rahul Gandhi will make his own team.”
The speculation about Rahul’s takeover grew stronger after his mother and party president Sonia Gandhi underwent surgery in the United States in August last.