In 2014, we are promising an expansion: Jairam Ramesh

, March 29: "What we are promising in 2014 is a step-up, it is an expansion" , said the

leader and Minister of Rural Development

in a live hangout organised by Network 18 and Google Plus on Friday.

"We delivered 8% annual growth rate in the first five years of UPA and 7.3% in the next five years, while the NDA had only 6% growth rate in its 6 years tenure", he said.

The minister was posed questions by Google users about the grand old party's failure to perform well in last 10 years.

"We delivered 8% annual growth rate in the first five years of UPA"

A lot of things in the 2014 manifesto are a continuity of the 2009 manifesto, said Ramesh, adding that the INC is expanding in scale, learning from experiences and charting new courses and new directions.

"We are more committed to the welfare part of the development agenda and not so much worried about the growth part", said Ramesh, clarifying that the party doesn't feel threatened by the BJP.

A user asked Ramesh why the voters should vote for a party which hasn't even declared it PM candidate. Here is what Ramesh replied: "Our elections are not for electing prime ministers. They are fought for the parliamentary system".

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