Veteran Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said more than 50 per cent of the party tickets for the upcoming local body polls in the state should be given to Gen-Z and young candidates, asserting that it is time to recognise the ongoing generational change in the country.
Gehlot referred to a recent students’ agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and protests led by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi near the prime minister’s residence, saying these developments have created an atmosphere indicating a generational shift. Gehlot expressed confidence that the Congress would win the local body polls with a big majority. He claimed that there is anger among people against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Senior leaders of the party attended the meeting.
Speaking to reporters after discussions on the Congress’s preparations for the civic polls, the former Rajasthan chief minister said tickets should be distributed strictly on the basis of merit and ground-level feedback and not on recommendations, even if they come from senior leaders like him. “The importance of Gen-Z or the younger generation cannot be denied,” he said, adding that youngsters getting opportunities would also have to demonstrate dedication and commitment to the party. The former chief minister said even recommendations made by him should not influence candidate selection. He said discussions were held at the meeting to ensure proper ticket distribution and appealed to party MLAs, MPs, district and block Congress committees and grassroots-level workers to work together for the local body polls.
