Rahul speak

Rahul Gandhi echoed the words of his sister Priyanka Gandhi saying he wasn’t “obsessed” with becoming the prime minister, and that he is intent on “transforming UP” and won’t leave until he meets the objectives he has set for the state. Wearing a stubble, Rahul took on the entire opposition – from BJP’s L K Advani to BSP’s Mayawati and even Baba Ramdev. “All the political leaders in India have an obsession with prime ministership. This is not Rahul’s obsession. I have another obsession,” he said, adding that his obsession is UP. Continuing in his imperious-sounding third person vein, the Amethi MP said, “Rahul Gandhi yahan se nahin hatega. Jab tak UP khada nahi hoga, Rahul Gandhi gaon mein, jhopadi mei khada milega (Rahul Gandhi won’t leave the state until UP stands on its own feet. Until then, you will find Rahul Gandhi standing in villages and in shacks).” Asked about corruption, Rahul said, “When I mentioned a constitutional status for Lokpal in parliament, I saw L K Advani laugh.” He said his idea was fundamental to the idea of India but the opposition rejected it because it was “Rahul Gandhi’s idea or Manmohanji’s ideas”. In his nearly 40-minute press conference, the first since he began campaigning, Rahul said, “Chunav mein result Congress ke liye solid ayega (Congress will get a solid result in polls).” The people of UP, he said, are looking up to Congress because they believe that other parties have been fooling them for the past 22 years. The Gandhi scion also stressed that the Congress wouldn’t go for post-poll alliance with any party if it failed to get the numbers. “Once Congress stands (on its feet in the state), whatever happens in UP politics, Congress will defend it.” Rahul fired away at Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav. “I respect Mayawatiji, Mulayam Singhji and all other leaders. But, Mayawati has not gone to people to understand them.