According to the state Youth Congress members, nearly 60 per cent of their leaders, including the state unit president, have crossed the upper age limit of 35 and they need to be weeded out as per the criterion fixed by Rahul.

Rahul has strictly ordered all the state Youth Congress wings to remove those who have attained the age of 35 and replace them with youth more ‘suitable’ for the post. The minimum age limit being 18 years.

The initiative, according to Congress leaders, has been taken to infuse fresh blood and rejuvenate the party. While leaders in the youth wing continued for years as there was no upper age limit fixed for them, new faces did not join the party in the 'absence' of an opportunity to grow.

After Rahul's fiat, the state youth wing conducted a survey of its office-bearers at different levels and found that nearly 60 per cent of them were not eligible to hold party positions.

"During a survey, we found that about 60 per cent of Youth Congress leaders in the state had crossed the upper age limit and needed to be replaced," said Mihir Shah, president of the Gujarat Youth Congress.

Although Shah did not give his exact age, he admitted that even he had crossed the upper age limit. "I will demit the office soon as the elections for the youth wing are completed by March end," Shah told Newsline. He has been heading the youth wing in the state for the last six years.

The matter, according to Shah, was also discussed during Rahul's visit to the state on Friday. In his meeting with the state Youth Congress leaders, Rahul insisted that he wanted to ensure that the youth wing had leaders and workers in the age group of 18 and 35.

When questioned by Shah and other Youth Congress leaders about those retiring on attaining the age of 35, Rahul assured that those with good performance would be accommodated in different wings of the state unit.