Rahul wants Mulayam govt to go

Rae Bareli: A day before campaigning ends in Rae Bareli, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday stepped up his offensive against the Mulayam Singh Yadav government suggesting it is time it should go.

Gandhi, who has been campaigning for the re-election of his mother, Sonia Gandhi, from this Lok Sabha constituency, refrained from predicting whether Rae Bareli poll outcome would be a catalyst for such a change.

"If the Government is not doing any work, it is time for change," he said when asked about his charge of non-performance of the UP government and if he felt it should go.

However, to a question whether the outcome of the May 8 bypolls would be a catalyst to the change, he parried a direct reply saying "I am not a soothsayer".

Asked how he foresaw polling on May 8, he said it would depend on three factors-distance of polling booths from villages, heat and marriage season.

On whether caste would play a big factor in the post-Mandal era, Gandhi said "it is a factor but not an important

one."

Rahul said UP has a lot of potential, but the people did not get the opportunity to grow. Government should come close to the people as it was not easy for national leaders to come in close contact with the masses.

To a question whether his sister Priyanka would also join the campaign, Rahul said she was not ready to involve herself with electioneering.

"I have told her that at least she can sit next to me in my car when I campaign," he said.

Priyanka is Sonia Gandhi's polling agent. Her husband Robert Vadra had on Thursday joined Rahul during the campaign.

Asked about his memories from the campaigning which took him to hundreds of villages across the constituency, Rahul said, "the memories are very pleasant. I could contact so many people."

Rahul appealed to the people to come out in large numbers and vote for Congress. He especially appealed to the women to exercise their franchise in favour of Sonia Gandhi.

Earlier, addressing a roadside meeting at Sahgo village, Rahul recalled the five-generation-old ties of the Nehru-Gandhi family with the area and reminded the peopple of Jawaharlal Nehru's fight against the British and Indira Gandhi's war on poverty.

He also told the people about Sonia Gandhi's efforts for development of the constituency.

Rahul regretted that the Mulayam Singh Yadav government was not keen on the development of Rae Bareli and Amethi, thinking that it would benefit Sonia Gandhi.

In a message to the state government, Rahul said, "a road does not differentiate between people just as water does not discriminate between people."

He said whatever development was taking place in the state was because of Centre's help.

Rahul also said that whenever the Centre wanted to invest in Rae Bareli, the state government refused to accept the assistance.