Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday stepped up his party’s poll outreach in Chhattisgarh, promising free education in government institutes and financial assistance to collectors of ‘tendu’ (beedi) leaves if they win the upcoming elections.
He also looked to corner the Union government over the caste census, saying that the Congress will hold the enumeration if they win next year’s general elections.
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Addressing a rally in Bhanupratappur, one of 20 seats going to vote in the first phase of state polls on November 7, Gandhi said the Congress will provide education free of cost at all government institutes if it retains power.
“We will embark on a significant initiative, which we will call ‘KG to PG’. From KG (kindergarten) to PG (post-graduation), free education will be provided in government institutions to students if Congress retains power, he said.
Gandhi said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi brings up his Other Backward Class (OBC) identity in every speech, he is “afraid” of holding a caste census. “Modi ji says in every speech that he is an OBC but why is he afraid of caste census? The OBCs constitutes about 50 per cent of the country’s population. But Modi ji is trying to hide the population of OBCs, Dalits and adivasis We will conduct the caste-based census as soon as possible. If our government comes to power, the work will begin in two hours,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Gandhi said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi brings up his Other Backward Class (OBC) identity in every speech, he is “afraid” of holding a caste census. “Modi ji says in every speech that he is an OBC but why is he afraid of caste census? The OBCs constitutes about 50 per cent of the country’s population. But Modi ji is trying to hide the population of OBCs, Dalits and adivasis We will conduct the caste-based census as soon as possible. If our government comes to power, the work will begin in two hours,” he said.
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On October 2, Bihar announced the results of a landmark caste survey, marking the completion of an exercise that has the potential to upend heartland politics and propel caste into the core of the electoral discourse in the 2024 polls. The Congress has made the survey a major poll plank ahead of the upcoming elections, promising to conduct it in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh if it wins the assembly elections.
Gandhi also announced that ‘tendu’ (beedi) leaves collectors will be given ₹4,000 per year under the Rajiv Gandhi Protsahan Yojana, if the Congress wins the polls, an announcement that holds significance in the tribal-dominated Bastar region where the collection of beedi leaves is a major source of livelihood.
“The Congress prioritises the welfare of farmers, Dalits, labourers, and adivasis,” he said and accused the BJP of working for the interests of a few industrialists.
Gandhi said that unlike the BJP, the Congress is focussed on ensuring holistic development of the people of the state while respecting their local culture.
“BJP leaders talk about Hindi and say don’t learn Chhattisgarhi (local dialect) and English. We want tribal youth to learn Chhattisgarhi, English as well as Hindi,” he said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief spokesperson Ajay Chandarkar countered Gandhi, accusing the Congress of making false promises. “Congress is known for its false promises. In the last elections, they promised to provide free education till Class 12 but nothing has been done. Rahul Gandhi should first review the status of the promises they made earlier. Congress is misleading the people of the state,” he said.
Chhattisgarh will vote in two phases, with the second leg scheduled for November 17. The Congress won 68 of the state’s 90 assembly seats in 2018. After multiple bypolls, its tally has risen to 71.