Leaders in all parties make way for the next generation, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma today said amid reports that senior minister P Chidambaram wants to field his son Karti from his seat Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu.
Sharma, who is a senior spokesperson of the party, also cited the example of Jayant Sinha, son of senior BJP leader and former Finance Minister of NDA government Yashwant Sinha in this regard.
Jayant is contesting from Hazaribagh seat in Jharkhand, which was earlier represented by his father, who is not fighting this Lok Sabha poll.
"I meet him (Chidambaram) regularly. He has not commented on it. I am not privy to any such thing. I am also not in Central Election Committee. But people do take these decisions in all political parties. There are people in all parties, who make way for the next generation. In the BJP also, some senior leaders have taken the decision," Sharma told reporters at the AICC headquarters.
He was asked about speculation in media that Chidambaram does not want to contest from the seat and field his son.
Vehemently denying contentions that Congress stands increasingly isolated in Tamil Nadu, he said that both the political parties (DMK and AIDMK) have been "tilting one way or the other" according to their political expediency.
He said that Congress remained a vibrant movement till date as the party always infused young blood. "There may be seniors, who feel that let the space be created for young leaders. This should not be seen as some crisis."
Sharma also rubbished contentions that Chidambaram and other senior Congress leaders might be "shying away" from fighting polls fearing decimation more so in Tamil Nadu, where the party is on a sticky wicket after getting no allies.
"Is Yashwant Sinha going to lose the election? Does he feel he is getting decimated and because of that he has fielded his son," he asked dismissing contentions that senior leaders are running away from electoral battle fearing losing.
"That is part of orchestrated campaign. I reject it. There is no force in Indian politics which can decimate the 130-year-old party. If anybody thinks that, it should be first dusted out from their mind," he said.
