Highlights
- Trinamool Congress has decided to reduce the upper age limit to 25, to infuse young blood
- After 25, a member of TMCP has to quit the student union. He can then join Trinamool Youth Congress
- The decision of fixing the age limit is likely to be announced by the party leadership soon
Trinamool Congress has decided to reduce the upper age limit of the members of its students' wing in order to infuse young blood as it has found that those controlling its student bodies in most colleges and universities are from a significantly higher age bracket of 30 to 32 years, party sources said here.
The party is likely to make the upper age limit for members associated with Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, its student's wing, to 25 years, the sources said.
The party observes August 28 as the foundation day of the Trinamool Chatra Parishad, which now controls the student bodies of all colleges and universities of the state.
"Generally, it should be students who should be involved and participate in student politics. But this is not the case for most political parties, including us. On several occasions we have seen that people who have passed out of college and universities long time ago and are aged around 30-32 control the student unions in various universities. So there is a proposal to fix the specific age bracket at 25 (years)," a senior TMC leader said.
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The step will not only ensure opportunities for those aged between 20-21 years in the party organisation but will also keep a cadre base ready for its youth wing after they leave Chatra Parishad, he said.
"After 25, a member of TMCP has to quit the student union. If he wants, he can then join Trinamool Youth Congress. This is the natural political progression from students to the youth wing and then to the mother party.
The decision of fixing the age limit is likely to be announced by the party leadership soon," he said. Confirming the development, TMCP state president Trinankur Bhattacharya said, "Talks are one".
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and the party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee are scheduled to address a rally at Mayo Road on August 29 to mark the foundation day of the student's wing as August 28 is a Sunday.
The importance of student politics, which is considered as the breeding ground of next-generation politicians, can be gauged from the fact that almost all the important politicians from the state, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself have been its product.
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