Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting in Jaipur earlier. (File photo)
Congress president Rahul Gandhi spoke to NDTV today in the run up to Lok Sabha elections 2019, after his rally in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He said Narendra Modi is not going to be the Prime Minister. "There is massive unemployment in the country, massive farmer disenchantment... in the country," the Congress chief said.
In Uttar Pradesh, a secular formation is winning the election, he said. "The Congress is not dividing the vote, we are harming the BJP."
Here are the Highlights from Rahul Gandhi's interaction with NDTV:
On Priyanka Gandhi
It was a decision made long before that Priyanka Gandhi was not going to contest from Varanasi. I said that I would keep you in suspense and I did.
On Becoming Prime Minister
It is not my place to be saying what are the wishes of people of India. I respect the people of India and I am subservient to their wishes.
On election issues
The primary issue in Indian elections: Jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs. And the economy. It's a pity the Prime Minister can't talk about these issues.
The Prime Minister can't stand on a stage and say the things he was saying in 2014. We have dismantled the Prime Minister of India. We have boxed him in and he is completely trapped. He (PM Modi) should talk about jobs and farmer issues. On those things, he is bankrupt.
On PM Modi
PM Modi is helping the corrupt. Over 100 million euros was paid to Anil Ambani two days after the Rafale deal.
Why is the PM negotiating the Rafale contract? Why is he running parallel negotiations?
Our survey shows 67 per cent people in India believe that Rafale was a scam. The idea that PM Narendra Modi is a crusader against corruption has been destroyed.
There is absolutely no apology to PM Modi. I made a genuine mistake that I said the Supreme Court said it. I am not apologising in the least for saying "Chowkidaar chor hai" or that PM stole money.
The Gathbandhan and the Congress party are going to clean Uttar Pradesh up, says Rahul Gandhi.
On Congress Alliances
In Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar and Kashmir, we have an alliance then what is all this drama that the Congress has no alliance?
We spoke to Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi chief minister), and he agreed for an alliance but then he brought Punjab and Haryana in the scene.
The problem was that Mr Kejriwal was shifting goalposts.
On Uttar Pradesh
In Uttar Pradesh's context, the Congress is a threat to Mayawati and Mulayam Singh. I have massive respect for them... there is a secular formation in UP that would crush the BJP.
Ask Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party, they chose to work together for strategic reasons. My long-term position in Uttar Pradesh is clear. We have to defend our ideology in UP.
In Uttar Pradesh, a secular formation is winning the election. The Congress is not dividing the vote, we are harming the BJP.
Narendra Modi is not going to be the Prime Minister. There is massive unemployment in the country, massive farmer disenchantment and farmer suicides in the country.
There is an upsurge in India against the type of government he has run.
On Election Results
We are doing better in the first 4 phases, at least our data shows, says Rahul Gandhi.
We are winning this election hands down. It is clear, we are doing better. Our data shows that the BJP is not winning this election.