For Rahul Gandhi's elevation as Congress chief, party will hold internal elections by October
After the Congress said the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have jeopardized the youth of the country by failing to create jobs, the ruling BJP offered this counsel for the Congress: "There is only one youth whose future is in jeopardy. Everyone knows who he is." Just in case they didn't, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra added, "They should have worried about Rahul Gandhi."
Mr Gandhi, the 46-year-old Vice President of the Congress, is expected to move up the party ladder in October to its top rung, replacing his mother, 70-year-old Sonia Gandhi as chief. Mr Gandhi's description by his party as a young leader is often derided by the BJP, which also stresses that the Congress' unwavering allegiance to its First Family is undemocratic.
The Congress' top decision-making body, its Working Committee, met yesterday to clear the holding of internal elections by October. That will allow for Mr Gandhi's elevation and a reconfiguration of the Working Committee.
Mrs Gandhi said at the conclave that the Congress "must be ready to protect the essence and idea of India, which this government is seeking to extinguish".
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the economy is "running on only one engine of public spending" and said that private sector investment has collapsed.
India lost its much-discussed tag of the world's fastest-growing economy a few days ago, with its growth falling behind that of China to 6.1 per cent for the last quarter.