Subsidies, jobs to top Congress poll promises in Gujarat

The Congress -- which has alleged non-performance of the incumbent BJP governments in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in its poll campaign -- faces the prospect of a new challenger in the western state, in the form of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

New Delhi: The Congress plans to use a common template for the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections that includes subsidised or free services in the health care, farm and electricity sectors and more government jobs, party leaders said on Thursday, but party insiders admitted that defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its stronghold of Gujarat will be an uphill task.

Minutes before the Gujarat poll schedule was released by the Election Commission on Thursday, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced 10 promises by the party (Hindustan Times)

The Congress -- which has alleged non-performance of the incumbent BJP governments in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in its poll campaign -- faces the prospect of a new challenger in the western state, in the form of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Minutes before the Gujarat poll schedule was released by the Election Commission on Thursday, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced 10 promises by the party. “LPG cylinder for ₹500, free electricity for up to 300 units, free treatment and medicines up to ₹10 lakhs, loan waiver for up to ₹3 lakh for farmers,” Kharge said in Delhi?.

He also promised to end the contractor system in government jobs, unemployment allowance of ₹300, setting up 3,000 English medium government schools, subsidy of ₹5 per litre on milk in cooperative society and compensation of ₹4 lakh to people who lost their lives in the pandemic.

”Seven crore Gujarati sisters and brothers consider only the Congress as an option for change,” he told reporters.

The Congress posted its best result in 27 years during the 2017 assembly elections, winning 77 seats and restricting the BJP to under 100. But a raft of issues that helped the party -- anger among farmers and traders and the Patidar agitation for reservations -- don’t exist this time. The party is in talks with potential allies and promised an aggressive campaign but admitted that the AAP’s presence made things unpredictable.

“Aam Aadmi Party and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen are the B team of the BJP. Their job is only to cut votes, but I don’t know whose vote they will cut,” said Congress party’s Gujarat in-charge, Raghu Sharma.

Sharma said that the party will seek answers from the government on vacancies in sanctioned government posts, create four “charge sheets” against the Gujarat government and corner the BJP over the collapse of a British-era bridge at Morbi that claimed 135 lives. “No one is taking any responsibility. We want to know who authorised this repair work? Who is that minister, who is that principal secretary?” said Congress leader Pawan Khera.

Party leaders however admitted that defeating the BJP in Gujarat will be an uphill challenge. “In the last election, we were able to keep the BJP under 100. Our realistic estimate can be to further diminish the BJP numbers,” said a senior Congress leader.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra taunted the Congress’ promises and said, “10 guarantees of the Congress party... 1 - Corruption 2 - Nepotism 3 - Appeasement 4 - Casteism 5 - Playing With National Security 6 - Familyism 7 - Internal Discord 8 - Anti-National 9 - Anti-Development 10 - Opposition to Army.”