At a public rally addressed by Gandhi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot promised two “guarantees” if the Congress is re-elected in the state — cooking gas cylinders for Rs 500 to 1.05 crore families and an annual honorarium of Rs 10,000 to the woman head of a family. He said that under the “Grah Laxmi Guarantee” scheme, the woman head of a family will be given Rs 10,000 a year in instalments. He also promised that 1.05 crore families would get LPG cylinders for Rs 500 if Congress retains power in the state.
The rally was organised at Ardawata village in Jhunjhunu district. It was the second rally of Gandhi in poll-bound Rajasthan within a week.
The Congress general secretary said a bill for women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies has been passed in Parliament, but it will take 10 years to implement it.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the BJP-led Centre on Wednesday over its “hollow” welfare schemes, addressing a rally where her party promised an annual honorarium of Rs 10,000 to the woman head of a family.
She also pointed out that 10 years have gone by since the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) was announced. The ERCP is an ambitious project that will help augment the irrigation facilities in an area of around 2 lakh hectares and address the drinking water problems of 13 districts in eastern Rajasthan.
“Their (Centre’s) schemes are hollow, whereas the schemes of the Congress government (in Rajasthan) are being implemented on the ground,” Gandhi said. She said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has understood that talking about religions and castes during polls will get votes for it. “The Centre tries to suppress people. It only wants to be in power and secure its future,” Gandhi said.
She also alleged that the BJP-led Centre is running for a select few industrialists and there is no hearing of public issues in this government.
“You need to understand what kind of leaders and governments you want — those who look for their own future and to be in the government and when elections come, talk about religion or the leaders who work for you.
“It is your responsibility to make a leader accountable. The truth is that there are people who indulge in the politics of religion and that is where their accountability ends. They have understood that during elections, they should talk about religion as everyone’s sentiments are connected to it … and that will get them votes. They have understood that there is no need to work, just talk about religions and castes and that will get them votes,” the Congress leader said.
The Congress leader lauded the schemes announced by the state government, such as the Chiranjeevi health scheme, the old pension scheme, and the inflation relief camps, among others. She said in the Congress, there are young leaders like Sachin Pilot as well as experienced hands like Gehlot.
State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and Transport Minister Brijendra Ola also addressed the rally where MLA Shobharani Kushwah, who was expelled from the BJP for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls last year, along with three others, joined the Congress.