Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi while interacting with the media persons during the function to release the Congress manifesto for the 2014 general elections, expressed confidence that UPA will form the government again and said that BJP's campaign balloon will burst like 'India Shining' in 2004. He also warned that BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's coming to power would be damaging for the country.

1. Camp: New Delhi
Date: 26th
March, 2014
Time: 2.30 pm
Rahul Gandhi at Congress manifesto release function: BJP balloon will burst soon
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi while interacting with the media persons during the function to release the Congress
manifesto for the 2014 general elections, expressed confidence that UPA will form the government again and said that BJP's
campaign balloon will burst like 'India Shining' in 2004. He also warned that BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's
coming to power would be damaging for the country.
The Congress vice President added, “I have a slight understanding of the ground reality in Uttar Pradesh. This BJP balloon is
going to burst in UP 100%, not 90%." He insisted that it was the Congress which had more allies in the country but the popular
projection was different. “NDA had BJD and JD(U) as its allies, but today they are not with NDA. But Congress did find new
allies,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi said the Gujarat chief minister represents an ideology which is exclusionary, the kind that makes people fight. It
will harm the country, and the Congress will defeat that thinking, he said. He also said the Congress is the only party that can
focus on growth along with the welfare of the poor.
"The only way India will move forward is a partnership that includes the poor, dispossessed, others. You can't have a
government which focuses only on one section," he said. "The future India will be built by poor people, those in the villages."
The BJP's dream is an India where a few people run the country, he added.
“The manifesto that we have here is truly the voice of the people of this country. We had a manifesto in 2009 and I am proud to
say that 90% that we have written in that manifesto have been delivered by the UPA government and the Prime Minister” said
Rahul Gandhi.
“We commit to do exactly the same in 2014 manifesto. I would like to say a little about what Congress party stands for that is
different than our opponents. We believe that for this country to grow there it needs to be a firm partnership between the
business, between the economic sectors of this country and between the poor. We believe you cannot owe this country
neglecting either business or neglecting the poor people. The best ideology is to do this is Congress party” asserted the Congress
leader.
“We had long discussions with you and you have given us good suggestions. Porters at New Delhi railways gave their
suggestions, fishermen in Maharashtra gave their views, women and tribal, all gave their respective suggestions to us...We put

2. your voice with depth in our manifesto for the first time” said Rahul Gandhi explaining how his party drafted this election
manifesto.
Full text of the speech by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi at the release of Congress Manifesto
I welcome all of you. Some five months ago Congress party decided to make its manifesto in completely different way. We
decided instead of making manifesto in closed rooms; we are going to take the discussion to people of India and we would ask
the people of India what they thought.
You saw in the short film that showed mainly interactions with me but in fact many – many interactions with young members of
the Congress party and with senior leaders of the Congress party and common man, business men, poor people, coolies, women
and we ask all of them what they would like to put in this manifesto.
The manifesto that we have here is truly the voice of the people of this country. We had a manifesto in 2009 and I am proud to
say that 90% that we have written in that manifesto have been delivered by the UPA government and the Prime Minister.
We commit to do exactly the same in 2014 manifesto. I would like to say a little about what Congress party stands for that is
different than our opponents. We believe that for this country to grow there it needs to be a firm partnership between the
business, between the economic sectors of this country and between the poor. We believe you cannot owe this country
neglecting either business or neglecting the poor people. The best ideology is to do this is Congress party.
I would like to say little bit in Hindi. We had long discussions with you and you have given us good suggestions. Porters at New
Delhi railways gave their suggestions, fishermen in Maharashtra gave their views, women and tribal, all gave their respective
suggestions to us.
We put your voice with depth in our manifesto for the first time. I would like to promise you and those people who are above
the BPL and below the middle class, we will put them in the middle class. I would like to say to poor people that Congress party
has built a strong base under their feet and we will strengthen that surface more so that you can feel there is space for you in
India.
I would like to say to business class as well that we will support you with ease of business and infrastructure and we will help you
to develop the country.
Thank you!