Q What is the message being sent out by the electorate? Is this the rejection of caste, religion and regional politics? What does this mean?
RG: As I have stated in my press conference, India is progressing very quickly and the Congress party believes that this progress belongs to everybody. It does not belong to a small group of people. It belongs to the large mass of people of this country. I think the policies we had made in the last five years, particularly programmes like NREGS & loan waiver, have sent a message that we are not going to let this country develop with a huge portion of it lagging behind. If this country progress, everybody will benefit. A person who has given us everything, who works everyday of their life in extremely hard conditions will also benefit. Congress party is going to stand by that person...
Q Priyankaji, will you be part of this government or will you work for the party?
PG: I will do exactly what I am doing!
Q Do you now need Mulayam Singh Yadav? Do you, at all, need SP to be part of this government?
RG: These are decisions taken by senior members of the Congress party, the Prime Minister and Congress President. I personally feel that the people of UP feel they need a government that works and have rejected politics of religion and caste. They have voted for politics of development in UP and that is what the Congress party will try to deliver over the next three years and certainly beyond that.
Q On L K Advani
RG: I would like to say one more thing. I think that our opposition fought a hard election, and Advaniji in particular fought a strong election. I have fundamental differences with Mr Advani in terms of secular politics. But as a senior person who is 80 plus, I think he fought this election with a lot of grit.
Q Manmohan Singh has said that he wishes you become part of his cabinet. What will you say?
RG: I have answered this in English. I think that the mandate is in favour of youth and the poor people of this country. I want the youth of this country to participate in politics with ease. Whatever we are doing in Youth Congress, we want to organize it in the coming days. As I said in a press conference, we need an organization of young people and that is going to be built over the next 2, 3 or 5 years
Q Priyanka has worked a lot for your and Soniaji’s campaign. How much credit will you give her for the results in UP?
RG: (smiling) just ask her! (Priyanka intervenes)
PG: All the credit goes to him, he has all the credit.
RG: I’ll tell you. Nobody can lay sole claim on this achievement as it is complete teamwork. If you ask me how much credit I give Priyanka, I’ll say that 100% credit goes to our team.
Q Then when is Rahul bringing in Priyanka?
RG: She will answer that question better. But the credit doesn’t go to one person. And this credit don’t belong to us either, this credit goes to the people of UP. The people of UP told us that they are tired of the way politics is being done currently. They asked us to bring about a change in UP. In fact our challenge has started from today. You can view it from the election point of view, but I don’t view it like that. For many years UP is lagging behind and being the largest state of this country it has to be number one in term of development. So just by winning 20 or more seats is just a beginning for us. This is really a small beginning. We have to work for the people of UP wholeheartedly. And that work will not be done by Rahul Gandhi alone. It would be completed by Rahul Gandhi along with the youth of this state.
I think that the people of UP are tired of the way politics has been done in last 20 years. Now we have to provide a new kind of politics to UP. And we will try our best that in the next 3 years we can give a new Congress to UP which can bring about change in the state. We will try to provide you such an organization.
Q What will be the agenda now, for reviving Congress all across India, UP being the focus area?
RG: I will not revive Congress. I will involve the youth of this country in politics. Our country has 70 % youngsters and we need some youngsters in politics. There are not enough of them in politics (Smiling) and I think we are on a lookout for them, and I know that lots of youngsters are listening to me. Come and join us.
Q How many youngsters will be there in the cabinet?
RG: (Smiling) You will get some youngsters in the ministry.
I have said again and again that I don’t view my job as winning or losing elections. I view my job as a duty I have. And I don’t view it in short term, I view it in a relatively long term. My job, as I see it right now, is to try to change the politics in this country using youngsters and unleashing the energy of these youngsters in this country. Seriously, my job would be no different, had I lost these elections. I would have been the same. My job has not changed in the least. My job is to try and empower youngsters in this country and I will continue to do my job whether I lose or win. Thank you very much. Have a nice evening.
excerpts from pressbdrief.in
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