Rahul Gandhi is a leader after Jayaprakash Narayan: Congress

NEW DELHI - The Congress Thursday drew a subtle parallel between late socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan and Rahul Gandhi, saying the party general secretary has in the former’s fashion focused on the youth to address their needs, concerns and future.

There is an undercurrent for the Congress in Bihar. After J.P. Narayan, Rahul Gandhi has addressed the concerns, needs, and future of the youth, Congress spokesman Mohan Prakash said here.

He said that former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was the leader who focused on children after former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and Rahul Gandhi had done so for the youth after Jayaprakash Narayan.

Answering queries, Prakash, however, clarified that he was not making a comparison between Gandhi and Jayaprakash Narayan, who was a symbol of resistance against the Emergency.

He said Gandhi had toured universities across the country to address students and no other leader had done so.

Terming the alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal-United and that between the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Lok Janshakti Party in Bihar as unnatural and unstable”, he said people were looking for the model of development presented by the Congress.

He said the RJD of Lalu Prasad was playing its last innings in the state.

According to Prakash, as the assembly elections in Bihar cross the different phases, the support for Congress will become clearer.

Old equations will be demolished. The result for the party will be better than expectations, he said.