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.
