No government has ever seen such an impressive growth rate: P. Chidambaram

Union Finance Minister at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) meet on Friday said that no political party had witnessed the kind of growth rate that nation had witnessed when the Congress government had come to power.

"I challenge any political party, to point to any period, of any government which has delivered such an impressive record of growth rate," said Chidambaram.

"We have recorded historic growth, and we have always believed in inclusive development,' he said.

He further said that Congress does not fade when not in power.

"Congress is not a party which fades when not in power, in fact, every turning point in history of India has been when Congress was standing guard," he said.

"Every milestone, every legislation in India, was done, made or passed when Congress was standing at guard," he added.

Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde met today in the Talkatora Stadium to proceed with the ongoing All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting.

This meeting has been organized to strategize the party's move ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election, and will also be deciding the role of Rahul Gandhi.

Senior Congress leader Janardhan Dwivedi on Thursday had said that there was a discussion on Rahul Gandhi as many felt he should be named the party's prime ministerial candidate, however president Sonia Gandhi intervened in between, saying that 'it is not the tradition of the Congress that just because some party has declared their candidate, doesn't mean we should too'.

However there was consensus at the AICC meeting that the Congress campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will be led by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.

"This meeting of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) declares that 2014 General Elections campaign will be led by Rahul Gandhi," Dwivedi told media after the Congress Party meeting.

Dwivedi also quoted Rahul as saying, "I am loyal party worker. I will carry out whatever responsibility is given to me.