LUCKNOW: It was the second time in 24 hours that Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who is heading ‘mission 2012’ in Uttar Pradesh, reiterated his stand in no uncertain terms that he was in politics to serve the people, and was not obsessed with the “idea of becoming Prime Minister only”.
Addressing a press conference in Varanasi on Monday, the Congress leader clarified that he was not working to become the Prime Minister of the country, and that was not his idea of politics.
“I am here to serve the people and see their progress and attain prosperity,” he emphasised.
Taking a dig at his political opponents—mainly from the BJP—L K Advani and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who are often seen to be vying with each other for the top post of the country despite resistance from their party, Rahul said, “All the political leaders in India, all the top ones, have an obsession with Prime Ministership. This is not Rahul Gandhi’s obsession.”
The Congress leader also ruled out tie-ups with either the Samajwadi Party or the Bahujan Samaj Party after the polls, in the event that his party does not get the mandate to rule. “Even if we don’t get the required number of seats, we will sit in Opposition and not align with the SP or the BSP,” he insisted.
Describing the two parties, SP and BSP, as political criminals for remaining cut off from the problems and the hardships of the masses, he also claimed that the BJP has been reduced to the margins and was losing its political relevance. “Though I respect Mulayam Singhji and Mayawatiji a lot and learnt from them also, it is also true that they have stopped visiting the poor and the downtrodden, and the people will reject them in the elections,” he said, confident that the Congress would improve its performance.