Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Monday said his all-India tour which he flagged off in Orissa last Friday has nothing to do with the coming general elections and was only aimed at meeting the common people of the country.

“The media is describing the programme as discover India campaign. For me it is only a programme to meet the common people. It is not an election campaign and it has nothing to do with the next general elections”, Rahul said while addressing a press conference at the end of his four-day whirlwind tour of the eastern state.

During his tour, the scion of the Gandhi family attended several programmes in as many as thirteen districts in the state meeting people across all sections including tribals, farmers, students and even budding hockey players at a sports hostel.

“It will continue for rest of my life”, quipped the young MP from Amethi when asked how long he intends to continue with his meet the people programme.

He echoed what many of his senior colleagues in the Congress were saying on the timing of the next general elections. “As far as my information goes the general elections will be held on time. There will be no early polls”, he said.

He further maintained that his all-India tour was also aimed at reducing the growing gap between the politicians and the common people who voted them to power. “The distance between politicians and the common people has to be reduced.”

“I would not have been sitting here had I believed that I can’t change the system”,Rahul said when asked if he really believes that the the present system in the country can be changed for better.

While describing the NREGA introduced by the UPA government as a “revolutionary programme”, Rahul rejected the view that the central programme was being properly implemented only in non-Congress ruled states.

In this context he said, he had travelled through Uttar Pradesh and Orissa and in both the non-Congress states, the central programme had been a disaster. On the other hand, in a Congress ruled state like Andhra Pradesh, it has been a grand success. “Millions of people have been benefited from the scheme in Andhra Pradesh,” he said.