Prakash Singh/Agence France-Presse â€" Getty Images Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi speaking at the annual general meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi on Thursday.Rahul Gandhi, widely seen as the Indian National Congress Party’s prime ministerial candidate, addressed hundreds of businesspeople at a televised meeting Thursday, his first at the Confederation of Indian Industry, and widely believed to be one of the important speeches in his political career. Mr. Gandhi, who appeared to be relaxed and informal, unusual on such platforms in Indian politics, said among other things that his relationship status (he’s single) and potential candidacy for the top job were “irrelevantâ€.
Mr. Gandhi spoke mostly about big-picture ideas but offered few specifics during his hour-long address. And although he shared touching anecdotes and voiced frustration with how dysfunctional the state can be, something most Indians are only too familiar with, he stopped short of explaining why his political party had allowed the country to stay that way.
“It was confusion confounded,†said Prakash Javadekar, a member of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, at a news conference, about Mr. Gandhi’s speech. “It was a lackluster speech without any direction or clarity.â€
His speech was more warmly received by industry leaders.
“It was a very good speech. His ideas are brilliant. Industry has to see how it can work with the government. We should work in unison for greater progress,†said Adi Godrej, president of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), which hosted the conference.
His speech also set the Twittersphere afire, attracting a range of reaction.
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