Live reporting: Sonia, Rahul reject opinion polls, say Modi balloon will explode, release manifesto

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi today outrightly rejected all opinion polls saying that the party would prove the pollsters wrong the third consecutive time in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Rahul Gandhi said, "like the India Shining balloon in 2004, the Modi balloon this time will explode."Replying to questions from reporters after releasing the party manifesto, Sonia Gandhi said: "Normally I do not trust opinion polls and it was recently proved too. In 2004 they predicted that we would be nowhere, but we came to power. In 2009 too, the opinion polls predicted our defeat, and we won with greater number of seats. This time too, we will prove them wrong."Rahul Gandhi too repeated the same assertion. He said: " In 2009 we were told Congress would lose badly. Your opinion were showing Congress would get 5 seats in UP, but that did not happen. Congress will fight the election this time, and the results will surprise all of you. As far as UP is concerned, our performance will be a repeat of 2009 performance. Last time, you did not believe, now the elections will take place, and you shall know. "Rahul Gandhi said, a wrong projection is being made by the media to show that the NDA is getting new allies. He said: "Those who were earlier allies of NDA, like the Biju Janata Dal and Nitish Kunmar are not supporting the current candidate (Modi). On other hand, Congress has alliance with RJD, JMM, RLD, NCP. Yes, we do not have alliances in Tamil Nadu and Bengal." If you look at the alliances, we are pretty well where we started. But the projections show otherwise. They (NDA) don't have allies in Bihar, and in Odisha,and they don't have alliance with any major party in Tamil Nadu. "I agree the India Shining campaign in 2004 was a brilliant campaign. Everybody was convinced BJP would come to power with 250 seats and on the day of results, it evaporated. We will see what the outcome of the elections is, and I am pretty confident, like the balloon of India Shining, this balloon will also explode. Certainly, this balloon is going to burst in UP, 100 per cent." Following is the live reporting for the release of Congress manifesto:2:09 pm: Press conference finally ends and leaders leave the dais.2:08 pm: People want reply on promises to contain price rise: PM: It is certainly true that prices have risen in last 2 or 3 years. There were reasons beyond our control. Energy prices are determined by international factors. We took a decision to reward our farmers by remunerative prices, and it had the consequence that consumers were required to pay higher prices, but we ensured that effect of rising prices does not hurt the poor. In last 10 years, there has been no increase in prices of essential commodities, particularly the foodgrains.2:07 pm: On reporters' persistent demand, press conference resumes. Who will be the prime minister if Congress wins? Sonia Gandhi: Rahulji has already made it clear. It is the Congress Parliamentary Party which will elect its leader after the elections.2:04 pm: Press Conference ends.2:03 pm: On Manmohan Singh's remark that Modi will be a disastrous PM: Rahul: I think our Prime Minister is very wise and I respect his remarks. The main issue here is on ideology. Basically questioning the idea of India. That is why I am against that individual. But the real issue is the danger represented by the ideology. 2:02 pm: On giving ticket to Ashok Chavan. Sonia: The decision of giving ticket to Ashok Chavan was taken by CEC. As far as I know, Ashok Chavan is not barred by any authority including the Election Commission.1:56 pm: Are you prepared to sit in opposition? Rahul: Large number of previous NDA are not supporting the current candidate. You have BJD who is not supporting, there is Nitish Kumar who is not supporting NDA. On other hand, Congress has alliance with RJD, JMM, RLD, NCP yes we do not have alliances in Tamil Nadu and Bengal. If you look at the alliances, we are pretty where we started. But the projections show otherwise. They don't have one in Bihar, and Odisha. They don't have with any major party in Tamil Nadu. The India Shining campaign was a brilliant campaign. Everybody was convinced BJP would come to power in 250 seats and on the day of results, it evaporated. We will see what the outcome of the elections is, and I am pretty confident, like the balloon of India Shining, this balloon will also explode.Certainly, this balloon is going to burst in UP, 100 per cent. Over the last 10 years, Congress has given the fastest growth rate in history. At the same time, it pulled 14 crore people out of poverty, that's not a small thing, its on the back of our programmes. Due to global economic situation, we are not where we were in the earlier part of the term. 1:53 pm: Question on change in Vadodara candidate and primaries: Rahul: Primaries are a very small step. It is designed to demonstrate a candidate's decision can be taken with an input from a large number of people. 15 candidates were selected by 12,000 people in each constituency. That's an extremely powerful idea. Every party talks of involving people while selecting candidates. Only the Congress party did it. There are shortcomings in all processes. The idea is: half a million people's voices are in this manifesto. We need to move from the idea of very few people choosing the candidates. Its an idea which will deepen. Yesterday's decision (Mistry), the candidate himself felt that a heavyweight should fight the election against a powerful rival, he gave way. The important thing about the primary is the idea. We will deepen the idea of primaries.1:50 pm: Question on Modi wave - Rahul Gandhi: In 2009 we were told Congress would lose badly. Your opinion were showing Congress would get 5 seats in UP, but that did not happen. Congress will fight the election, and the result will surprise all of you. As far as UP is concerned, in UP our performance will be a repeat of 2009 performance. Last time, you did not believe, now the elections will take place, and you shall now. About Modi. Modiji is an individual, but he represents an ideology, which is exclusionary, of selected people, which pit people against one another. That ideology will harm the country, and every Congressman will fight and defeat that ideology.1:47 pm: question on opinion polls and Varanasi candidate. Sonia: Most certainly we are going to challenge the Varanasi seat. we have not decided,. why should we not challenge? How confident we are of winning the elections? Is that the question. Opinion polls have been proved wrong again and again. In 2004, story of Congress was finished. Story of Congress continued. Similarly in 2009, we were going to lose, we got bigger number of seats. This proves we cannot go 100 per cent on surveys. I am quite confident we will do well, and our people are ready to fight and many have already started the fight, and we will win. 1:44 pm: First question on corruption. PM replies: The BJP attacked me because BJP felt that I was a weak PM and that under their constant criticism I will run away from the job that the Congress party has entrusted me. I have proved them wrong and therefore there is no reason for anyone to believe that the BJP had substance in what it set out to argue. Corruption is an issue in a developing economy, corruption cannot be wished away, but every effort must be made to come out which gives rise to corruption.Congress has worked towards a situation where corruption will be a thing of the past. I believe next Congress government will be able to overcome whatever tendencies are there towards corruption and there will be a Congress govt which will be a govt which will answer the needs and aspirations of our people.1:42 pm: Reporters allowed to ask questions. Ajay Maken conducts question-answer session.1:39 pm: Sonia: For other parties, manifestos may be only a token tradition, but for our party, it is a matter of principles. Principles are meant not to show off, but to adopt them in real life. Sonia ends speech. Jai Hind.1:37 pm: Sonia: We will fight for unity not uniformity in this election. We will fight for social unity, in which communities are not pitted against each other. In this election, we will fight for a leadership which can empower people and give them collective strength. In this election, we will fight for an India in which it is not important what our religion, or caste, or language is. We will fight for a secular India, where everybody is Indian. We will fight in these elections for an India which is not for a few, but which belongs to all the Indians, who have equal rights on this country.1:35 pm: Sonia: Congress promises Health for All and Housing for All. We are promising pension for disabled and other sections of society. 2014 elections are not for good programmes. This election is for safeguarding the constitutional framework, which had been bequeathed to us by our forefathers after the freedom movement.1:33 pm: Sonia Gandhi: You have seen under the leadership of Dr Manmohan Singh, there has been a huge economic change and social consolidation in the last 10 years. This was a time of rapid economic growth, in which all sections of society found many doors opened for them. Most of the Panchayati Raj institutions got huge financial support. Many landmark bills were passed.1:32 pm: Sonia Gandhi: (speaking in Hindi): We adopted a different process this time. Rahulji spoke to different sections of society. It was not possible to accomodate all the suggestions. We will publish all of them in a separate booklet soon.1:30 pm: Singh: The election manifesto seeks to unite all sections of people behind Congress party, behind Soniaji and Rahulji.1:27 pm: Singh: In NDA period growth rate for investment 25.2 pc, in UPA 35.2 pc and in UPA 2 it was 36.1 pc. In all respects, the records of UPA in creating opportunities for rapid economic growth have been superior compared to NDA period.1:26 pm: Singh: Industrial growth and agricultural growth recorded better rates compared to NDA rule. We brought 14 crore poor people above poverty line.1:24 pm: Singh: People ask what is the record of Congress party. I say, Congress record is visible to anybody who cares to look at it. We provided an agenda for growth. In the NDA period 1999-2004 growth rate average was 6 pc. in UPA1 2004-09 growth rate was 8.4 pc, UPA2 2009-2013 it was 7.3 pc. So we have delivered more growth than our opponents claim that they are capable of delivering,. 1:21 pm: PM Dr Manmohan Singh: One hears these days about Gujarat model, one hears about other models. Congress model is the model there is need for expanding economy to provide lasting solutions to poverty, but growth by itself is not sufficient to achieve the solid results of growth process. It needs to be backed by adequate concerns about education, about health, about needs of our women, our scheduled class, scheduled tribes and other backward class citizens. 1:20 pm: Rahul: In last 10 years we laid a solid foundation for the poor people. We will bring 70 crore poor people above poverty line to the middle class.1:19 pm: Rahul: The manifesto we have here is truly the voice of Indian people. We have implemented 90 pc of our promises in the 2009 manifesto. There needs to be a firm partnership between the business sector, and the poor people of the country for the real development of the country.1:17 pm: Rahul Gandhi speaks: Some 5 months ago, Congress decided to make its manifesto in a completely different way. Instead of making it inside closed rooms, we decided to meet people and incorporate their wishes.1:16 pm: Antony: Our manifesto is a novel, new manifesto. I hope Congress and UPA will return to power.1:12 pm: A K Antony, chairman of manifesto committee speaks. The manifesto has been prepared after an exercise spanning 5 months and meeting more than 10,000 people. On the dais are Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Janardan Dwivedi and media in-charge Ajay Maken. 1:05 pm: A video presentation shows snippets of Rahul Gandhi meeting coolies, rickshaw pullers, fishermen, women and other sections of society in order to incorporate their articulations in the manifesto.1 pm: Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi opens the proceedings describing Congress as the flowing river Ganges.