Cong should consider fielding 272 candidates below 35 yrs: Chidambaram

Listing out the achievements of the United Progressive Alliance government, Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said the country has achieved tremendous growth in the past 10 years and will continue to do so in the next decade as well.

Addressing the All India Congress Committee members, he said the Congress should

consider fielding at least 272 candidates below 35 years in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in order to empower the youth and entrust them with more authority, power and responsibility.

"The last 10 years have been years of tremendous growth and development for India and next 10 years will also be years of tremendous growth and development for India. People of India will once again entrust the responsibility to the Congress Party," Chidambaram said.

The Congress-led UPA government, in power since 2004, will have to seek fresh mandate of the people in the coming months. The general elections are scheduled to be completed by May.

Recalling the achievements of the government, he said, "In the last 10 years, the two governments guided by Sonia (Gandhi) and led by Primje Minister Manmohan Singh have delivered substantially on our promise of growth, inclusive development and social justice".

Asking the Congress leaders to disseminate the message of development, Chidambaram said more people have bank accounts and more money is being spent on health and that the network of rural roads has expanded significantly.

The Minister further said the UPA government has done a lot for the upliftment of scheduled caste, tribes and other weaker sections of the society. The Congress party, he said, had stood like a rock in the last 65 years, protecting the interests of people.

"Our mission is to serve and work, not merely to capture power. Our mission is to unite and serve, not to divide and rule. Our mission is to acknowledge that there are deep flaws and deep fault lines in our society, that there is discrimination and that there is denial of justice," he said.