Porbandar: Reaching out to the fishermen community in Gujarat ahead of the next month's Assembly polls, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Friday promised to create a separate ministry for fisheries if the party comes to power at the Centre.
He criticised the BJP government in Gujarat for stopping the subsidy given to fishermen to buy diesel for their boats.
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi alleged that the fishermen from Gujarat are now forced to venture deep into the sea because of the pollution caused by 10-15 industrialists, who are "Modiji's friends".
Gandhi, during his address to the fishermen at this coastal town on the first day of his two-day campaign tour of Gujarat, expressed confidence that the Congress will emerge victorious in the state, where the party has been out of power for 22 years. "Fishermen's work is equivalent to that of farmers.
Sometime back, you demanded that if there is a ministry to look after the agriculture sector, then why not for fishermen? I agree with you, and I promise that the Congress will set it up after forming the government at the Centre," Gandhi said.
Guj polls: BJP releases fifth list of 13 candidates
Ahmedabad: The BJP on Friday released its fifth list of 13 candidates for the second phase of Assembly polls in Gujarat, dropping two sitting MLAs.
Prahlad Patel, who had joined the BJP ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls after resigning as Congress MLA, did not get a ticket from Vijapur constituency in Mehsana which he represented. The BJP has fielded Ramanbhai Patel from the seat.
The BJP has so far named candidates for 148 seats out of 182.