New Delhi:
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Friday said he was putting forth a "radical idea" that the Congress should field 272 candidates below the age of 35 in the Lok Sabha polls.
Speaking on the political and economic resolution moved at the All India Congress Committee meeting here, Chidambaram said that 68 percent of country's population was below the age of 35.
"I have a radical idea. In half of parliament seats, 272 seats, (we) must field candidates below the age of 35 years. If India is young, it is young India which must be trusted with responsibility. (They) must become empowered," Chidambaram said.
He raised the slogan "Young India, empowered India."
Chidambaram also hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party over its "mission 272" for the Lok Sabha polls, saying that it was an ambition and an attempt at "aggrandizing power".
He said the Congress mission was to empower India and it had chosen party's young leader Rahul Gandhi to "lead it to battle" for 2014 elections.