Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi sounded the poll bugle in Uttar Pradesh today, walking up and down a 200-metre ramp in Ramabai Stadium in Lucknow addressing party workers. The move, say reports is to present himself as a rockstar much as the PM does during his visits abroad, while addressing the India diaspora.

Highlights of what the Congress veep said.

-- 27 saal UP behaal, anek parties UP ko todne main lagi hain. Hum chahate hain ki UP fir pehle no pe jaaye, aur hum leke jaaenge.

-- The Congress is fighting to change the lives of the people of UP. We are fighting to form the Govt in UP. We are not here to merely increase seats.

-- We made Sheila Dikshit-ji the CM candidate of UP because we want her to fight for women.

-- Earlier Modi-ji snatched farmers' lands, now it's dal from your plates.

-- Modi-ji promised bullet trains, tickets will be not less than Rs 15000.
Only Modi-ji and his suited booted friends will travel in it.

-- If the Congress Party stands together, if we fight for our ideology and give voice to the workers then no Party can defeat us.