By IANS
Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) : Congress star campaigner Rahul Gandhi admitted in this Uttar Pradesh town Saturday that the revival of his party in the state would take some more time.
"I am not concerned about how many seats we get or we don't get. I am concerned about the Congress party getting back to life in Uttar Pradesh. In my view, this is the beginning of a long drawn process," he told a press conference here.
"We have just started the process of reviving Congress and taking it ahead in the state. It was after a long time that we were really in the fight in an election in Uttar Pradesh; and I consider that itself an achievement," he emphasized.
Rahul, however, refused to comment on the exit polls.
"Now that I have campaigned in Uttar Pradesh, I have seen it in a different perspective," he said.
"What I learnt during the campaign here is that we need to have deeper interaction with the people. And my view is to revive the party in the state in the long run," he added.
The scion of India's most talked about political family added: "I don't see myself as any saviour of Uttar Pradesh. I see myself as a young man who is ready to work shoulder to shoulder for the development of the state."
On the lack of Congress cadres in the state, he said: "Morale is the most important thing, and that is what we can see emerging in the party rank and file."
Asked about the possibility of a hung house in the state, Rahul observed: "Who will form the government and what would be the possible role of the Congress party after the elections is a decision to be taken by the party president and other senior leaders."
He went on : "My interest is to revive the Congress party in the state, you will have to understand that Uttar Pradesh is not a one election job for me, it's a long process.
"For the time being our goal is to simply build a good party that is responsive to the needs of the people."
Commenting on the problem of factionalism in the party, he said: "I think this is a bit of an exaggeration; I do not deny groupism, which I'm sure would be there in every party; but that does not mean that if one person is awarded a party ticket, there are a thousand people raising their voice against him."
On his future plans for Uttar Pradesh, Rahul stressed that his is not a short-term vision.
"I have ideas and plans for Uttar Pradesh. I fully intend to interact with the people of the state to refine my ideas and plans. It is the biggest state and while most of India is moving ahead, Uttar Pradesh is not. My duty is to push Uttar Pradesh forward."