Lucknow: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the ruling BSP in Uttar Pradesh had provided them enough issues like corruption and asked his party workers to exploit these to the hilt in the upcoming state Assembly elections.
“The BSP has given maximum issues…wherever we go people say they gave it vote but it looted them,” he told party’s frontal organisations here.
Alleging graft in MNREGS, acquisition of land and other areas in the state, Rahul said the BSP had provided several issues relating to corruption.
Referring to three main political parties — the BSP, the SP and the BJP, the Congress general secretary said these were talking only about the Congress.
Attacking the BJP, Rahul, winding up his two-day visit to the state capital, said it had only the Congress on its mind.
“If we talk about the FDI, they (BJP) say it is wrong. When we talk about the Jan Lokpal Bill and food guarantee they say it is wrong,” he said.
“The BJP has no other issue. Earlier it had the temple. They formed their government but could do nothing and now it is only the Congress which is on their mind,” he said.
Apparently referring to discontentment in the party over distribution of tickets for the Assembly polls, he said “since there is no proper system, there can be some shortcomings somewhere.”
Rahul also visited Nadva, a renowned centre of Islamic learning, this morning and met its rector Maulana Rabe Hasni Nadvi.
Rahul referred to nearly 1200 people attending today’s meeting of party’s organisations and said even if all the 400 tickets were distributed, some 800 would be deprived of the chance to contest the elections.
He said it was for the first time that the tickets were distributed well in advance and nearly 90 per cent of the candidates had already been decided.
Exhorting party workers to bring a change in the state, Rahul said this could not be brought about by shouting or throwing tantrums.
This could be achieved only by sheer hard work for which he was fully prepared, he said.
“I am 40-year-old and still have 20 to 30 years to work and I will continue to make one effort after another,” Rahul said referring to the Youth Congress elections in several states.
Warning the workers against any laxity, he said he had developed a system in the past seven years through which he could find out who all had worked hard for the party and they would be encouraged.
Asking the party workers to put in all their might for the state assembly elections, Rahul said he would not be happy even if the party wins 250 seats if they had not put in all their efforts.
Inculcating a sense of confidence among the workers, he said though the media wrote off the Congress in the last Lok Sabha polls, it emerged as the largest single party. (PTI)