Cong will ensure 50% quota in seats for those below 50 years of age: Kharge

Kharge is pitted against Shashi Tharoor for the post of party president. The voting is scheduled for October 17 and counting of votes for October 19.

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who is contesting party polls for the post of president, on Tuesday said that his party would strive to ensure reservation of 50 per cent of seats in elections for the aspirants below 50 years of age if it’s voted to power at the Centre.

Congress party's national presidential candidate Mallikarjun Kharge addresses a meeting in Patna on Tuesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

Talking to media persons at the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) headquarter here, Kharge said safeguarding the interests of farmers, workers of unorganised sectors and public sector undertakings (PSUs) would be high on the party’s agenda once he won the party’s elections. “These are parts of the party’s Udaipur declarations, deliberated and finalised by delegates from across the country and seniors in the party,” he said, adding that the Udaipur declarations were the manifesto for his election.

Kharge is pitted against Shashi Tharoor for the post of party president. The voting is scheduled for October 17 and counting of votes for October 19.

To a query regarding growing clamour among Mahagadhbandhan (MGB) leaders in Bihar to project chief minister Nitish Kumar as the prime ministerial candidate, Khadge said he would speak on it after the 2024 parliamentary elections.

Regarding his decision to jump into the fray for the All India Congress Committee (AICC) presidential poll, Kharge said he made the decision to contest about 18 hours ahead of the nomination on the insistence of senior leaders, who helped him file the papers. “I decided to contest to after Rahul Gandhi and the Gandhi family decided to stay away for the AICC chief’ post. The party leaders convinced me to fight as we need to defend the ideologies of Gandhi and Nehru and protect the essential spirit of the constitution and the democracy,” the Congress leader said.

Senior party leaders, including AICC spokesman Gaurabh Bhalla and Rajya Sabha member and campaign in-charge Pramod Tiwari shared the dais with Kharge.