Cong has ability to defeat BJP in 2019 polls: Rahul to Indians in Bahrain

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday while addressing at convention of Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin in Bahrain said that Congress is capable of defeating BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In his first address to NRIs outside India after taking over as Congress president, Gandhi, Gandhi said,''I am here to tell you what you mean to your country, you are important, to tell you that there is a serious problem at home, and to tell you are part of the solution.''

Slamming the government for allegedly dividing people on the basis of caste and religion and converting the anger of jobless youth into hatred among communities, Gandhi said,''Job creation is at an eight year low. Instead of focusing on removal of poverty, job creating and world class education system, we see instead rise in forces of hate and division. Instead of accepting that we are struggling to create jobs, instead of uniting people of all religions and communities together to face the challenge, the govt is busy converting the fear being generated in jobless youth into hatred between communities.''

The Congress also said,''Your talent, skills, tolerance, patriotism is what India needs today. You have shown us how you have built the countries you have journeyed to.''

Gandhi claimed that the government's failure to create jobs is resulting in "tremendous unrest" in India and this anger is visible in the streets and is rising with each passing day.

He said the Congress has the strength to fight the BJP and claimed it will defeat the ruling party in 2019. "Congress party knows how to fight. It defeated the British. It changed India and helped the country stand on its feet with the help of people. "This party has so much power that it will defeat the BJP in 2019," he said on the party's plans for 2019 polls.

On his vision for the party, Gandhi said he admits his mistakes as well as those of the Congress. "We will have to present a new Congress, a new vision that is something you trust. You will see a dramatic change in the Congress party, you would believe you can trust," he said.

Noting that Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and B R Ambedkar were also NRIs, he said "Our ancestors needed you in 1947 to protect the idea of India and I have come to seek your help to transform India now".

Drawing comparisons with China, which he said was galloping ahead in job creation, he said "what China does in two days, takes India one year to do" while claiming that job creation in India is at an eight-year low and new investments are lowest in 13 years, with bank credit growth also nosediving.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)