Becoming Prime Minister is not the “central focus” of Rahul Gandhi’s politics, according to his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who said on Sunday that Manmohan Singh is “extremely good” and a question of change does not arise at the moment.
On a campaign trail in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Ms. Priyanka also backed Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, saying she feels “sad” about the attacks on him in the 2G spectrum case when he has an “onerous and huge” responsibility towards the people of this country.
Ms. Priyanka said that for Mr. Gandhi the post of party president or Prime Minister was not important and for him his mission of development was more important.
“You see the political career of Rahul Gandhi that whether he should be the party president or Prime Minister, but neither he nor us see it that way... he is more concerned about what he is doing.
“I do not think that is the central focus of his politics. We have an extremely good Prime Minister. We are fortunate to have a person who is honest and works well and I don’t think this question arises at the moment,” Ms. Priyanka told reporters in Rae Bareli.
She was replying to a question on whether the time has come for Mr. Gandhi to become Prime Minister, a demand that is often made by sections within the Congress.
She said Mr. Gandhi is more concerned about his work than worrying about how the election results would impact his reputation. “It his work that matters. He is not concerned about his reputation. Only cowards don’t lead from the front.”
Asked about the allegations against Mr. Chidambaram in the 2G spectrum case, Ms. Priyanka said she feels “sad” about the attacks on him.
“I feel as the Home Minister he has an onerous and huge responsibility towards the people of this country. I feel sad when he has to waste his time responding to the rants of people who are not concerned about the kind of issues he has to deal with...,” she said.
Hits out at Mayawati
Earlier, in an attack on Chief Minister Mayawati, Ms. Priyanka said people should decide whether they want a government which works for them or one which spends crores on buildings.
Addressing a public meeting in Inhauna on the third day of her five-day tour, she said, “it is up to electorates to understand whether they want a government which thinks or works for them, or one which wastes thousands of crores of rupees on buildings“.
She said the forthcoming polls in the district on February 19, 2012 were important as people do not have to think about their area alone, but also about the State and the country.
“You (people) create leaders, you form the government. A leader, who does not have feeling of service towards people and who thinks that power is a chance of self promotion, only you people can teach him a lesson,” Ms. Priyanka said.
She said that responsibility of being rejected by public representatives was the responsibility of the people and they should turn indifferent towards politics, which rejects the masses.
She alleged that in the last 22 years, the State witnessed governments which did not work for the people.
Exuding confidence on the victory of party candidate Doctor Muslim from the area, Ms. Priyanka said, “I have this hope because I know how much development was done and people’s problems were heard from the MLA’s side. Whatever development took place it happened from the centre and MP fund. No work was done from the government or MLA side”.
