No One Should Retire In Politics: Mallikarjun Kharge

At the launch of senior Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde’s memoir, “Five Decades in Politics,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stated that there is no retirement in politics. The 82-year-old politician encouraged others to work until their last breath in service of the people and the country.

Kharge emphasized that Shinde, at 83 years old, should not consider himself retired, as he still has a crucial role to play in strengthening the Congress party and spreading its ideology to the masses. He cited Morarji Desai, who became India’s oldest prime minister at 81 in 1977, as an example.

The Congress president clarified that working in politics should not be done seeking ministry or other plush positions but as a “return gift” to the people of the country and the political party that nurtured them. He added that whatever one has learned or achieved in life should eventually be returned to the people.

Kharge praised Shinde for his positive demeanor, noting that he went about his business with an ever-present smile and did his work quietly without boasting about it. He argued that this quality is rare in today’s time when some people, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are all talk and no action.

Shinde expressed his gratitude to the Congress party, particularly the late former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, for mentoring and guiding him throughout his career. He noted that appointing a scheduled caste as the chief minister in Maharashtra was not an easy decision, and only someone like Sonia Gandhi could do that.

The book launch was also attended by Rajya Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh. The memoir, priced at Rs 599, is published by HarperCollins India.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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