Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the BJP-led Centre on Wednesday over its “hollow” welfare schemes while addressing a rally where her party promised an annual honorarium of Rs 10,000 to the women heads of families in Rajasthan.
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.
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.
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.
Gehlot announced 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 will get LPG cylinders for Rs 500 if the Congress retains power in the state.
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 joined the Congress, along with three others.
Gandhi welcomed the four leaders into the party-fold.
BJP leader from Kishangarh, Vikas Chaudhary, and former National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Mamta Sharma also joined the Congress.
Chaudhary was disgruntled over the BJP denying him a poll ticket from the Kishangarh Assembly seat.
At the rally, Gandhi unveiled the statue of former Union minister Sisram Ola, father of Transport Minister Brijendra Ola. The 200-member Rajasthan Assembly will go to polls on November 25 and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 3.