'It's now time for change', says buoyant Gandhi

Buoyed by Congress' resurgence, party president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (11) said the assembly poll outcome is a "clear message" to the Modi government that people are not happy with it and time has come for a change while asserting that his party will also win in 2019.

Prime minister Narender Modi got a massive mandate but refused to listen to "heartbeat of the country", Gandhi noted, and said there are serious questions being asked about the future of country's youngsters as there was a sense of discontentment and inability to see the future.

Thanking people and party workers for party's good performance in three states of Rajasthan, Chhatisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, he said, "It's now time for change. We are going to provide these three states with a vision for overall development". However, he added that they would have liked to do better in Telangana.

Hitting at the BJP for its often-stated remark of Congress-mukt (Congress-free) Bharat, Gandhi said,"the BJP has a certain ideology and we will fight against it. We have won this elections, we will also win in 2019. However, we do not want to get rid of anyone, 'hum kisi ko mukt nahi karna chahtein'."

Asked about the selection of chief ministers in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, he said there will not be any issue and it will be done smoothly.

There is a clear message to Prime Minister Modi that people are not happy with his decisions, including demonetisation and those pertaining to farmers and youth, he said, adding the BJP has failed to provide a vision for the country going forward.

Asserting that the process of loan waiver for farmers will start as soon as Congress governments are formed, he, however, said the loan waiver is a measure, not a solution to farmers' distress.

Gandhi was named to lead the Congress exactly a year ago and took over the charge from his mother Sonia Gandhi a few days later.

Rahul Gandhi also praised Congress workers and likened them to 'babbar sher' (lions).