Assembly results effect: Rahul Gandhi promises radical changes in Congress
New Delhi: With Congress hit hard by Aam Admi Party's electoral debut in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi today said the new party has succeeded by encouraging involvement of people and there is a need to learn from it.
He also said that political parties are not giving adequate voice to the common man and vowed to aggressively work towards changing the situation in Congress.
"I think the AAP involved a lot of people who the traditional political parties did not involve. We are going to learn from that and do a better job than anybody in the country and involve people in ways you cannot even imgaine now," Rahul said. The AAP led by Arvind Kejriwal has bagged 27 seats in its electoral debut reducing the ruling Congress to a third position in Delhi assembly. BJP won 31 seats.
Pitching for strengthening the party, Rahul said, "I fundamentally believe that and I am going to put all my effort in transforming the organisation of the Congress party together with the leaders of the Congress party and give you an organisation, that you would be proud of and has your voice embedded inside it."
Acknowledging the defeat, he said "Through this election, the public has given us a message. I and the Congress have listened to this message not just from our mind but from our hearts also."
He said the Congress has the ability to transform itself and stand up to the expectatons of the people. "Congress is going to do that."
"We work for the people of this country and it is our duty to listen to you. That is what we are supposed to do. We have heard what you have said and we are going to do whatever we can do as individuals and as a party to live upto your expectations," he said, adding "political parties are not giving adequate voice to the man on the street and it is our job as institutions of people to that." PTI ARU RT 12082
Next: Excerpts from the press meet
Excerpts from the press meet
The Congress party has the ability to transform itself, we will work hard to live upto your expectations.
We as a party have to talk less about good governance, have to give place to common man in our structures.
Need to move further than good governance, need to move to a place that gives serious space to the common man in our structures.
The AAP got common people involved, we are going to learn from that and involve people more.
Modi is leader of BJP. Congress has a vision of this country, BJP has another perspective, our job is to push our perspective.
Earlier, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said the party will announce a prime ministerial candidate at a suitable time. She said the Congress accepts the verdict of the people in all humility. “We are disappointed with the verdict, it calls for deep introspection. We congratulate our opponents”.
On the General elections, she said those elections are quite different. In the state polls, the focus is on personalities of state.
“We will take necessary steps to correct our mistakes and our way of functioning,” she added.
