Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh believes the future of the Congress party and its longevity is ensured by the young people who have joined its ranks in recent years.
He was in Washington last month at the invitation of the World Bank to address two conferences on poverty alleviation in the Third World.
Singh reiterated that he has had his fill in state politics and is committed to mentoring and developing young political leaders in the Congress party.
"My aim is to encourage and develop new leaders in the Congress party," he told rediff.com
He said he did not want the Congress to ever repeat the mistakes of the past of not having developed a cadre of young and talented leaders and ignoring the grassroot that had led to its rout in previous years by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"We are doing that now at the grassroot level. I have been given charge of (Congress affairs in) Assam, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh."
Singh said he found working in the grassroot and developing young leaders "very rewarding." He denied that the growth of the economy and the proliferation of a young entrepreneurial class had led to cynicism about politics and entering public service.
"This time a lot of young people have entered Parliament from the Congress party and they are doing very well. There is a sense of commitment to public service."
"The Congress party has always been promoting young people," he said, adding, "Rajivji (Gandhi) picked me up when I was 38. He made me the Congress party president in the state. There are a lot of young people in the horizon."
Singh said the future of the Congress and longevity is ensured by these youth. "Rahul (Gandhi) and everyone else is coming to the forefront. We can look ahead," he added.
"The Congress will soon come back to power in MP," he said, but added he has no interest in seeking re-election. "I've had my innings in state politics and am committed to working in the All-India Congress Committee. I believe a new leadership should be built up."
Singh predicted the return of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh will be spearheaded by young Congress party workers.
"The anti-incumbency factor got the better of me but now the people are realising their mistakes because the next government is not performing but fighting among themselves," Singh told rediff.comHe said Madhya Pradesh is in a malaise because the BJP "by fighting among themselves has created such a huge governance problem. The state has been suffering and the bureaucracy has almost stopped working."
However, he was optimistic economic growth and foreign direct investment in Madhya Pradesh cannot be written off. "In spite of the fact that we don't have a coastline and are lacking in connectivity, Madhya Pradesh as a destination is considered the 7th best in the country. We have been getting good investment and FDI in that order."
Singh pointed out that "the first Special Economic Zone in the country came in Indore."
"Our state abounds in skilled labour. There is industrial peace and no labour problems. We are right in the middle so it becomes a distribution hub for many companies. Procter and Gamble has set up its distribution hub here like it has in Ohio in the United States. The company is happy about the hub it has set up," he said.
