Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a rally in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh said that he had come to politics for serving the Poor, Dalits and Backwards. He said that this inspiration came to him from his grandmother Late Indira Gandhi who was the great defender of the right of the poor. He said that many years ago his grandmother told him about the qualities of people from Andhra Pradesh.

Congress General Secretary said that for the last five years the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh and UPA government at Centre, worked for the upliftment of the Poor, Dalits and Backwards. He said that the UPA government carried out the largest Employment Guarantee Scheme in world through which every household in India got hundred days job assurance.

Congress General Secretary said that he was proud to say that Soniaji and Manmohan Singhji had worked and defended the poor.

He expressed concern that the central fund and schemes don’t reach the common man. He said that the way our system worked, it was difficult for Central government to help the poor. He cited example of Orrissa and UP where programmes of centre were not used because the state government was not interested.

He said that in Andhra Pradesh and Delhi , results are there to see. He praised the state government of Andhra Pradesh and said that it had carried out a large number of central projects. Besides, the state government launched Rajiv Arogyashri health scheme for the poor and provided rice at Rs 2 per kilogram. Congress General Secretary said that the state government had also done good work in IT and infrastructure sector. Coast guard was deployed to protect the fishermen and Passport Mela was organized for youths to go abroad.

He said that till there is one poor in this country, his family would stand by his side. . He appealed to voters to support Congress in Loksabha and assembly election.