Former party president Rahul Gandhi on Monday kicked off the Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022 campaign of the Congress with massive poll promises. While Gandhi made several freebies promises, he also slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state on multiple issues.
Addressing Congress booth-level workers at the 'Parivartan Sankalp Rally' at the Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad, Rahul Gandhi made the following poll promises:
- Free electricity to farmers
- Loan waiver of up to Rs 3 lakh for farmers
- Up to 300 units of free power to general consumers
- Creation of 10 lakh new jobs
- LPG cylinder at Rs 500
- Building of 3,000 English medium schools
- Providing free education for girls
- Subsidy of Rs 5 per litre to milk producers
The Congress poll promises come amid an ongoing debate on freebies, which were recently termed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as ‘Revadi' culture. The PM also warned people, especially youth, against such promises calling it dangerous for the country. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which aims to mirror its Punjab polls exploits in Gujarat has promised Rs 1,000 per month to women and round-the-clock supply of power if voted to power in Gujarat.
Apart from the poll promises, Gandhi hit out at BJP for insulting the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He said that while the BJP built Sardar Patel’s tallest statue in Gujarat, the party insulted him by working against farmers, a community for whom India’s first Home Minister worked. He said that a Congress government in Gujarat will grant a loan waiver to farmers like it had done in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Karnataka.
On unemployment, he said, “The truth is that 2 to 3 billionaires cannot provide jobs. Jobs are provided by small businesses and farmers. Until there is a government of farmers and small and medium businessmen, jobs cannot be created in this state. The Congress' focus will be on providing jobs to youth and our government will provide jobs to 10 lakh youths.”
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(With inputs from PTI)
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