Addressing an election rally in Bareilly (UP), Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi said that this election is a fight between two different ideologies. One ideology belonged to the Congress Party and the other was that of the BJP. He said that both the ideologies should be judged on the basis of their respective slogans. “BJP coined a slogan that said, India was shining in the last general elections. The slogan was in English. But when they traveled to villages people told them that there was nothing of that sort there,” he said. Rahul Gandhi said that India was shining only for the rich and affluent people and not for poor people, slum dwellers or farmers. He further added that BJP was pushing forward the idea of two India’s, one for poor people and the other for the rich. Rahul Gandhi said that he would not coin any such slogan till there was a single poor person in India “My doors are open for the poor, come and tell me your problems,” he said. 

Enumerating the work done by his government in the last five years he said that the UPA had fulfilled all promises made to the people. “Our government launched NREGS and ensured hundred days employment for poor people. Similarly, our government waived 70,000 crore rupees worth loans of farmers and enabled them to seek fresh loans,” he said. Rahul Gandhi said it was because the BJP government had forgotten farmers that the UPA had to implement welfare programmes for them. 

Praising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress General Secretary said that Manmohan Singh was the best candidate for the post of Prime Minister and he had done brilliant work. Cautioning all present to vote correctly Rahul Gandhi said, “This election is not for the state; this is the election between Manmohan Singhji and L K Advani.”

Congress General Secretary said that his government had done a lot for tribal people and the minorities. “UPA passed the Tribal bill in Parliament and ensured their right over their forestland. Many scholarships have been arranged for students of minority communities,” he said. 

Talking about the potential of UP, he said, “UP is the largest and strongest state in India, but in the last twenty years of opposition rule, it has regressed while the rest of India is progressing,” he said. He added that the center has sent the largest chunk of funds to UP but unfortunately since Congress Party was not in power in the state, the money did not reach to poor people. Rahul Gandhi said, “We have sent 165 crore rupees to UP, the largest central assistance to any state but the state government did not let the money reach poor people.” He said that Soniaji and Manmohan Singhji had great concern for the people of UP but only Amethi and Raebareli were witnessing development as Congress was not in power in the state. 

He said that agriculture was India’s backbone, but the farmers of UP were a neglected lot. “All the factories and industries are run by laborers but someone else controls them and they do not get what is due to them,” he said. 

Congress General Secretary said that poor people of India had contributed greatly to the country’s freedom struggle. He said, “Whenever you see a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi, you will always find poor people behind him. You will not find people who wear luxury watches and drive expensive vehicles.”