‘WE’RE FOR THE POOR’,

Cong ress vice- president Rahul Gandhi, the lodestone that holds the entire Congress strategy for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, comes across as a man worried more about the ideas he is trying to introduce in Indian politics than his party’s prospects in the polls. In an interview with Headlines Today’s Javed Ansari, Gandhi said the Congress was not keen on marketing itself as the results would reflect its work during the past 10 years. Excerpts: If the BJP’S marketing is good, why hasn’t the Congress party been able to replicate it? Did the Congress fail at marketing? You’ve been in power for 10 years, but this election has become Modi-centric. Look, the Congress vote base, primarily consists of the poor. The BJP vote base consists of corporates. As a result, their marketing abilities are better... generally, in every campaign, they are able to generate more noise... but the results speak otherwise... So, you’re saying that you are confident of the Congress getting a majority? We should get a majority. But ours is an ideological fight... We believe in empowering as many people as possible... They want maximum power to be vested in one person and that’s how the entire country should be run... Would you agree that the discourse this election has become Modi-centric? He’s talking about the Gujarat model. You are talking about something else. Why do you think the message about all the development work that you said the Congress is responsible for is not going out to the public? The reality is we have been in government for the last 10 years ... I cannot dispute the fact that there will be some sense of antiincumbency... But in the last 10 years... I believe that we have given people their rights, built roads and constructed airports. So, we have improved lives of a lot of people. I think that will benefit us. But Modi says the same. He says ‘we have ensured 24-hour water supply, power, connectivity, world class roads, investments. Why is it that apart from the primary message they espouse, a lot of people are believing the Gujarat model? ... Look at the Gujarat model. One man whose net worth 10 years ago was ` 3,000 crore is worth ` 40,000000 crore today. You are talking about Adani? I don’t want to take names. . . land the size of Vadodara ara was given to him. Are you aware at what cost? t? For R 300 crore... Now, you talk about the state. Textile industry is finished. I have interactacted with diamond cutters of Gujarat. They are perishing... the farmers are crying. The state has maximum labour disputes... this is the reality of the Gujarat at model – favour two or three industrialists. It’s very simple. Can you name any other industrialist in Gujarat? Will there be a primary now for the posts of Congress president and vice-president? Primary is a process. Don’t confuse the idea with the process. One question I just have to ask and a lot of young people want to know the answer to this... You are smiling. What kind of question is up your sleeve? There is column in the nomination form that asks you to specify your marital status. Do you get any time for yourself and when will you fill in the blanks in that form? When I find the right girl, it will get filled. I dondon’tt get too much time. I need to work and travel. But it’s all in our destiny.