We wanted Rahul Gandhi to be re-elected as the AICC president, M Kharge said. (File)
Congress presidential poll candidate Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday asserted that he would implement the Udaipur Declaration's proposal of allocating 50 per cent of party posts for those below 50 years of age, if he wins the election.
Besides Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor is in the race for the post.
Speaking with reporters, following his meeting with West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee delegates in Kolkata, Mallikarjun Kharge said, "I will fully implement all that have been proposed in the Udaipur Declaration, adopted earlier in the year, if I get the opportunity.
"Fifty per cent seats will be given to those below 50 years of age ... to women, people belonging to SC, ST and OBC. And I will also ensure that nobody gets to hold a post for more than five years. This is my promise," he said.
The 80-year-old former leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha criticised the BJP government at the Centre for disinvestment of public sector undertakings, claiming that such decisions were responsible for rising unemployment rate and weakening of rupee.
"We are against unemployment, inflation, price rise of essential commodities as well as of petrol, diesel. Our fight is against GST on milk, wheat, ghee. Our fight is against fall of rupee against US dollar. We are not here to fight against each other. What is important is that we have to fight Narendra Modi and Amit Shah," he said.
Thanking senior leaders for backing his candidature, Mallikarjun Kharge said, "We wanted Rahul Gandhi to be re-elected as the AICC president. I had never thought of contesting the elections. Senior leaders and other members asked me to contest the elections, and hence I am doing it. This election is within the party. It will help us strengthen the party and fight the BJP better in 2024." The Congress presidential election is scheduled to be held on October 17. The results will be announced two days later, on October 19.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)