Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee on Thursday said Donald Trump's election as US president has proved that age is not a factor if someone has popular support, amid the debate in his party over a call for fixing a retirement age for leaders.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, TMC's General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee had called for implementing a retirement age in politics, citing a decline in work efficiency and productivity.
"In politics, age is not the factor. If one is capable of working for the people of the country and capable of discharging all functions, if he is popular amongst the people, then he can remain in politics," said the four-time MP from Serampore.
"Trump won the election at the age of 78," the 67-year-old added.
The controversy on the issue within the party reached such a level a few months before the Lok Sabha polls that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had to intervene, asking young members to respect senior leaders, and dismissing assertions that the veterans should retire from politics.
The MP refused to comment on party leader Kunal Ghosh hinting that Abhishek Banerjee could become the next chief minister of West Bengal after Mamata Banerjee.
He, however, said, "When the party asks me to go, I will leave without getting into any controversy."
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