Rahul Gandhi says 35-40 per cent of tickets to go to youth

Stressing that youth would get the major share in party tickets in the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said that at least 35-40 per cent tickets would be given to them.

Mr Gandhi was in Zirakpur, near Chandigarh, to meet party workers and leaders to discuss the strategy in the Assembly elections.

Later in an informal infraction with the media, he said the Congress would finalise candidates within six months well in advance of elections in the state. He made it clear that tickets would be given only to those who have worked on the ground while retaining a balance in representation of youth, women, experienced leaders and minorities and other marginalised groups.

Getting rid of the drug menace, bringing in industries and employment and making agriculture remunerative again would be the party’s priorities should it form the government.

He said the Congress would win the Punjab elections by defeating both the SAD-BJP combine and the AAP in the elections, and said he sensed a great deal of energy and enthusiasm in the party workers.

The Congress vice-president said that he discussed the issue of drug addiction with the party workers. Taking a dig at the Akali government, he said when he had raised the issue, the SAD-BJP dispensation had made fun of him. Reacting to the accusation by the SAD-BJP combine that the drug problem claims were an insult to Punjab, Mr Gandhi said nobody can harm the image of the state: “Nobody can insult Punjab. Punjab is the heart of the country.” Punjab gives life to the country.”

He said that if the Congress forms the government in Punjab after the 2017 Assembly polls, the state will witness rapid development. “When our party forms the government (next year), the drug problem will be solved,” he said, adding that the Congress wants to give a “new kind” of government which would be sensitive to the needs of the people.