Kharge, who was present at the time, was the first to react. He said, "Don't raise this question here." However, the man did not stop and wanted an answer.

Rahul was forced to answer this question. He said, "I would prefer more and more youngsters at the helm of affairs in the party. I personally want more Dalits to come into politics. If there are young and bright persons, I will surely push them to get any position."

Kharge seemed visibly upset when the question on who would be the next CM was completely dodged by Rahul, but the man who asked the question did not seem to give up and once again asked, "Will the chief of the Congress in Karnataka (Kharge) be made the CM?"

Rahul sensed that the issue was turning a bit controversial and decided to dodge it by saying, "This is between Karnataka and Delhi. It is a Delhi matter and I would not want to say anything on it."

"At 37, I am an old person in India. The majority of India is younger than me," said Rahul, asking the youth to plunge into politics and prevail upon political parties to usher in internal democracy.

Noting that 70 per cent of India's population is young, Rahul, on a campaign trail ahead of the Assembly elections in Karnataka, said while old (people) are to be respected for their experience, there is value and strength in youth as well.

"In a sense, youth is the future," he said.

Rahul has been decribed in Congress circles as a Dhoni. Interestingly, Dhoni has recently hit out at the seniors in the cricket team, saying his focus is on youth.

Lamenting that political parties lacked internal democracy, the Nehru-Gandhi family scion asked the youth to raise their voice to highlight the issue.

Against the backdrop of Left parties and the Bharatiya Janata Party opposing the India-United States nuclear agreement, Rahul said it was time India stops being scared of the agreement.

"On the Indo-US nuclear deal, my thinking is that in India we need not be scared or lack confidence in dealing with anything or anybody," Rahul said while talking to students at the TMA Pai Institute.

Rahul said other countries have now realised the strength of India. "I speak to foreign leaders and I get the sense that they have realised and recognised an united and confident India," he said.

The Congress in north Karnataka was been given a three-month ultimatum to regain its past glory by Rahul, who met with youth Congress party workers at Hubli on Wednesday.

Rahul sought to know why the party's performance has been dismal in north Karnataka. He urged party workers to pull up their socks and work extensively towards bettering the party.

He also said that several members from the Janata Dal-Secular were ready to join the party, but none of the Congress leaders were showing enough interest.

Calling for making the present political system a more "open", Rahul admitted that he has an edge in politics due to his surname.

Rahul said his progress in the present Indian political system would not have been easy if he was not "connected to somebody".

Rahul ended his tour of rural Karnataka at Raichur on Friday after a brief interaction with Panchayat members. His father too had visited the same place as All India Congress Committee general secretary in the year 1982. His mother Sonia Gandhi will be in Karnataka next month as part of the election campaign and it would be interesting to see what she would have to say about her son’s visit.

With the tour which covered 12 districts in Karnataka coming to a close, the big question that needs to be answered is regarding the impact that this tour has made on the people.

Image: AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi greets people in Dharwad on Thursday.
Photograph: KPN Photos Also Read: Rahul's arrival: Hamlets go gaga
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