Sachin Pilot, Parliamentarian from Dausa, Rajasthan and a prominent member of the Congress' young brigade, draws inspiration from his father, late Rajesh Pilot, as well as party chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul.
"Of course, the star campaigners in the coming Lok Sabha elections would be Sonia Gandhi, Rahulji and our Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who has been making rapid progress after his heart surgery. Rahulji is one of the most acceptable politicians around," the young politician told rediff.com.
Over fifty per cent of the total electorate is under 25, he pointed out, and the Congress is vying to capture the youth voter base in the Lok Sabha polls.
Dismissing reports about strained ties between him and the Gandhi scion, Pilot said, "We work together in the Parliament and attend meetings of various working groups. Right now, we have just one priority and that is to procure the maximum number of seats for the party."
Asked about the escalation of violence between the Gujjar and the Meena communities in Rajasthan, Pilot squarely blamed former chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vasundhara Raje Scindia. He accused her of "unleashing brutal force on the poor Gujjars, who were asking for their legitimate rights."
"In a single day, the state police killed 70 Gujjars. This was bound to have an impact on the protestors," said Pilot.
Explaining the reasons behind his visit to Rajnath Singh, Pilot said he had pleaded for Raje's dismissal, but the BJP president didn't listen to him.
When asked if Rahul Gandhi was ready to take over the mantle of India's prime ministership, he evaded a direct reply.
"I cannot say what will happen in the future. But Congress president Sonia Gandhi has gone on record to say that Dr Manmohan Singh would lead us in the next election. He is gaining strength and his energy level is one and a half times more than what it was before his heart surgery," was his loyal reply.
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