Lucknow: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi feels that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, 43, is “theek ladka” (well-meaning boy)


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As per media reports, however, Rahul did not have the same opinion about the Samajwadi Party government in the state.


Dressed in jeans and kurta, the Congress VP, addressed party workers here, sounding the poll bugle for the 2017 Assembly elections on Friday.


"Look at the young CM here. Akhilesh theek ladka hai (he is a well-meaning boy) but his government isn't working," he is reported to have said.


Criticising the law and order situation in the state, Rahul said police stations have been made offices of political parties and alleged that the industry cannot come up in the state as one party (BSP) was encouraging corruption and the other (SP) 'goondagardi' (hooliganism).


"Why will the industry come to UP. There will be no power supply. Generation has remained static since 1989 (when Congress was last in government). Neither BJP, nor elephant (BSP) has worked on it...And cycle (SP) does not work on power," he added.


Meanwhile, defending the anointment of Sheila Dikshit as party's chief ministerial face on the ground of her 'experience', Rahul gave a lesson on discipline to party workers.


On being asked whether Dikshit was fit to be Congress' CM candidate because of her advanced age, Rahul remarked that people in Delhi were now appreciating her as she had changed the face of the national capital.


"People say though the earlier (government) used to work, now it is mere drama going on...MLAs are going to jail...Thinking is more important than age... Though youth is essential for energy, experience is also necessary," he said, as per PTI. 


In the high-voltage elections, stakes are high for Congress, SP, Bahujan Samaj Party and the BJP.


The Congress has roped in strategist Prashant Kishor for the UP elections and are going ahead with the campaign with the slogan - "27 saal, UP behaal."


The grand old party is in political wilderness for nearly three decades in the state.


(With Agency inputs)