C’garh: Congress, if voted to power, will remove poverty in ‘one stroke’ : Rahul Gandhi
Raipur: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday pledged to eradicate poverty in the country ‘in one stroke’, if his party is voted to power in the April-May general elections.
Addressing a rally in Lal Bahadur Shastri Ground in the village of Bastar in Bastar district in Chhattisgarh, Mr Gandhi said that Congress would implement the promises made in its poll manifesto as soon as it came to power in the general elections to remove poverty in the country.
Mr Gandhi listed out the guarantees of his party and said that under the Mahalaxmi Yojana, Rs one lakh would be provided annually to a woman in a family.
Congress, if returned to power at the Centre, would introduce a quota of 50 percent in government jobs for women. Thirty lakh vacant jobs in the government would also be filled.
Besides, right to apprenticeship would be legislated to make skill development for the educated unemployed youths mandatory. Such youths would undergo apprenticeship training in the public sector undertakings for a year with an annual stipend of Rs one lakh.
He also pledged to abolish the contractual system in the government services if his party is voted to power in the general elections.
Mr Gandhi said that his party, if formed government at the Centre, would immediately conduct a caste census in the country.
He described the forthcoming general elections as a ‘battle between two ideologies’ involving those seeking to protect the Constitution and those out to destroy it.
Mr Gandhi said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP and RSS are trying to destroy the Constitution, Congress and its INDIA bloc partners are out to save it.
He attacked BJP for terming adivasis as ‘Vanvasi’ (forest dwellers), saying that the tribals are the original owners of the lands and the country.
Mr Gandhi said that President Draupadi Murmu was prevented from attending the consecration of Ram temple in Ayodhya because she is a tribal, and it reflects BJP’s mentality.
In the first phase of polling in Chhattisgarh on April 19, only one seat, Bastar (ST) Lok Sabha constituency, is scheduled to go to the polls.
Kawasi Lakhma of Congress is pitted against Mahesh Kashyap of BJP in a multi-cornered contest in the constituency.
Congress has dropped the sitting MP in Bastar Deepak Baij, who is also state party chief, to field the six-time MLA from Konta Mr Lakhma in the seat in the poll.
