Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi has pitched for greater participation of women in the party to "compensate for not having a woman president anymore".
Addressing the Mahila Congress Programme, his first event as the party's president-elect, Gandhi said, "We have to work on transforming the Congress Party, and a fundamental part of it is going to be the role of women in the party at every single level."
"Unfortunately we do not have a woman president anymore, so we will have to compensate. We will work on having women Chief Ministers in states," he added.
While batting for women, Gandhi took a shot at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), claiming that "women cannot even enter the RSS."
Gandhi added that it was the organisation's ideology, and that the Congress' ideology comprises of greater participation for women.
"We have to prepare women systematically and actively at all levels, and get them to contest elections. Our women will represent party at every level", Gandhi said.
The newly elected party president also assured mandating reservation for women.
"There's no 'If' about it; it will surely happen. We'll push the government to implement women's reservation. Congress Party will not a give a choice to the government," Gandhi said.
Gandhi also commended the work of the Congress unit in Gujarat, and hinted that the party may win the state's assembly elections.
"In difficult circumstances, the Congress Party has fought in unison, and you'll get the result of it on 18th December. Maybe you are going to get a surprise in Gujarat, about who won and by what margin," Gandhi said.
The counting of votes for the election will be held on December 18.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)