New Delhi\/Kanpur, Mar 3 (ANI): The Congress Party on Saturday expressed confidence about forming governments in the five poll-bound states, and emphasized that eventually the decision to chose their leader lay with the people.
\nCongress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said that in a democracy like India , representatives act as a medium for the people to express their opinion on governance in the country.
\n\u201cIn a democracy, the public decides. The public takes the decision regarding the country\u2019s future as well as its fate. These elections ARE just a process. The last phase of Uttar Pradesh and elections in Goa will conclude by this evening and we are hopeful that the Congress will form a government in all five states,\u201d said Alvi.
\nAlvi further defended Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh\u2019s remark that Rahul Gandhi should not be held responsible if the election results in Uttar Pradesh were not in favour of the party.
\nAlvi described Rahul Gandhi as the future of the Congress Party as well as the country.
\n\u201cIt is absolutely wrong to say this. Rahul Gandhi is a national leader; he is the future of the Congress Party. He campaigned in Uttar Pradesh in the same way, as he had gone to Uttarakhand and other states. Uttar Pradesh was not a special case. He went as the national leader to campaign in the five states, not specifically in Uttar Pradesh,\u201d he said.
\nMeanwhile, Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal has asserted that Rahul Gandhi is correctly being touted as a youth icon in Uttar Pradesh.
\n\u201cNobody has a right on anyone. Neither is the Congress saying that they have a right. The 12-16 percent of youth, who came out to vote, it is clear that the youth has been attracted by Rahul Gandhi. If the youth are voting for Rahul Gandhi, so it is clear that the youth must have come out of their houses and voted for him,\u201d said Jaiswal.
\n\u201cNow, what BJP, SP and BSP are saying is of least concern, everyone will say something or the other. But, the reality is that the youth has come out this time and they have voted in favour of Rahul Gandhi,\u201d he added.
\nAround 25 percent votes were polled till noon on Saturday for the seventh and final phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, marking the end of the month-long exercise.
\nThe Uttar Pradesh polls are being viewed as an opportunity for major political parties to re-establish their foothold in the country\u2019s fifth largest and most populous state.
\nThe first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth phases of polling occurred on February 8, 11, 15, 19, 23 and 28 respectively. A new 403-member state assembly will be elected in March.
\nThe poll results will broadly indicate trends for the 2014 general elections.<\/p>\n\n