Hand over Cong reins to young leader: Capt

Sunday, 07/07/2019

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/hand-over-cong-reins-to-young-leader-capt/798218.html

New Delhi : Even though Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today rooted for a young Congress president, the party appeared undecided on the likely candidates.

The schedule for the next Congress Working Committee was not final as yet with Rahul Gandhi in Patna for a court appearance today and expected to be in Gujarat sometime next week.

Sources say efforts are afoot to call a CWC meeting next week, but that would depend on whether the party reaches a consensus on the way forward after Rahul’s resignation as Congress chief.
So far there is no consensus among Congress seniors on who to propose as Rahul’s successor and hectic deliberations on a day-to-day basis are underway.

 Capt Amarinder, meanwhile, stuck his neck out today for a younger president at a time when the friction between the old and the young guard in the party is on. His statement came as a surprise to many in Delhi, with no one willing to comment.

He said a young leader should be picked to galvanise the Congress after Rahul’s unfortunate resignation as the party president.

In a press statement, he cited the growing youth population in the country to urge the CWC to look for Rahul’s replacement in a charismatic generation next leader, who can enthuse the people with his pan-India appeal and grass-roots presence.

“Rahul Gandhi has shown the way for youth leadership to take the party’s reins and steer it to greater heights. With India leading the world in terms of the largest youth population, it is natural that a young leader would understand and relate to the desires and aspirations of the people more effectively. Any change in the party leadership must reflect India’s societal reality, with 65 per cent of its population under 35,” said Capt Amarinder.

He said Rahul’s decision to stand firm on his resignation was a major disappointment and setback for the party from which it could recover only under a dynamic leader. The Congress, Capt Amarinder said, needs young blood to galvanise its rank and file, and once again make it India’s preferred and only choice.

He said under the guidance of the experienced party veterans, a young leader, with a visionary approach and modern outlook, would pave the way for the birth of a new India, more vibrant, dynamic and progressive.

It was time, he said, for the old to give way to the new, without which the Congress could not effectively tackle the challenges faced today.

Rahul has shown the way for youth leadership to take the party's reins and steer it to greater heights… Any change in the party leadership must reflect India’s societal reality, with 65 per cent of its population under 35.