We will win elections hands down in K'taka: Rahul Gandhi

Bengaluru, Oct 8 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday his party will win the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka hands down.

The Gandhi scion, who is currently leading the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka, said: "I am pretty certain that the Congress party will win the elections hands down."

Answering a question on in case of a fractured mandate in Karnataka, will the Congress party join hands with the regional party JD-S, he maintained that these are questions that are better answered by the CLP leader and Congress party in Karnataka. "But, this question you can ask to both of them (BJP and JD-S)," Rahul Gandhi said.

"In my experience, over the last few days, I have spoken to many. What I have been hearing from them is that they are tired of corruption, 40 per cent commission that this government is taking. They are also disturbed by the price rise and level of unemployment Karnataka is facing," he explained.

Talking on the opposition of the Congress party to the National Education Policy (NEP), he said: "We are opposing NEP because it is an attack on the ethos of our country, it distorts our history.

"We are opposing it because it concentrates power in the hands of few people, it takes away power and centralizes the education system and we want a decentralised education system that reflects our history, tradition and language," Rahul Gandhi said.

Answering a question on divisions within the Congress party in Karnataka, he said: "We are not a fascist party. We are a party that believes in the discussion, and conversation and are perfectly happy to have different viewpoints in the party."

He noted that the party understands that in order to win elections, "we have to work together as a team and that is exactly what is happening".

Commenting on the ban on PFI, he stated, "I have been saying speech after speech, it does not matter which community they come from, spreading hatred and violence is in India is an anti-national act and we will fight anybody who spreads hate and violence."