Rita Bahuguna Joshi calls Rahul Gandhi ‘the most trusted leader of India'

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Tuesday described Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi 'the most trusted leader of India,' while lauding his efforts in reaching out to the masses

Joshi's comments came in the wake of the recent political blitzkrieg triggered by Gandhi on a range of issues in Uttar Pradesh.

The 41-year-old great-grandson of India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, has long been tipped as a future leader of the country.

However, as the campaign manager in the country's most populous state, Gandhi is keen to revive the party in the heartland state of northern India, where Congress has been out of power for decades.

After the stellar performance of the party in the last general elections, Gandhi set eyes on the upcoming polls in Uttar Pradesh, where he is expected to take on the provincial chief minister Mayawati.

The crucial polls in Uttar Pradesh will be Gandhi's biggest political challenge yet and would set the stage for the 2014 general election.

Addressing a news conference in Lucknow, an optimistic Joshi said that Gandhi had won the support of masses across India through his work at the grassroots level.

"Rahul Gandhi is being viewed as the most trusted leader of the country by the people right now. People also want to see more young leaders in the government. Rahul Gandhi's honesty, integrity, hard work and his inherent quality to connect with the masses is being appreciated by everyone. Rahul Gandhi has become the favourite leader of not only Uttar Pradesh but also of India," said Joshi.

A member of the lower house of parliament since 2004, Rahul was elected to a seat which was held by a Gandhi family member for 23 of the past 31 years. However, unlike several other young Congress lawmakers considered close to him, he has never held a ministerial portfolio.

Meanwhile, Joshi maintained that Congress campaigns on issues such as law and order and farmers' rights had gained the support of the masses, and would reap rich dividends in the forthcoming polls.

"The campaigns organised by the Congress party on issues such as the deplorable law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, and the efforts made by Rahul Gandhi during the floods and Encephalitis outbreak in Purvanchal region have made a very good impact on the masses. The people have given us a very positive response," said Joshi.

The party is eager to strengthen its position and aspires to shed its dependence on inconsistent allies so that it is able to regain its political clout at the Centre.

Uttar Pradesh is believed to be the key to controlling power in New Delhi, as it is India's most populous state, sending the largest block of lawmakers (80) to Parliament. However, in the past few years, the Congress has lost its ground in the state.