 "Six Congress guarantees for Telangana: Housing, electricity, pension & more")
The Congress party has kicked off its election campaign in Telangana by announcing six guarantees for the state's people on Friday. The guarantees were revealed during a rally attended by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge.
The six guarantees include:
Indiramma Indlu: Under this guarantee, Rs 5 lakh will be provided for the construction of a house for those who don't have one. Additionally, a 250-square-yard house will also be given to those who fought in the Telangana statehood movement.
More From This Section
Mahalakshmi: Women will receive Rs 2,500 monthly, gas cylinders for Rs 500, and free bus travel in Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) buses.
Gruha Jyoti: 200 units of free electricity will be provided to all households.
Yuva Vikasam: Rs 5 lakh assistance for education in college and financial aid for coaching.
Cheyutha: Rs 4,000 monthly pension for the elderly and Rs 10 lakh Rajiv Arogyasri insurance.
Rythu Bharosa: Rs 15,000 annually for farmers, Rs 12,000 for farm labourers, and a Rs 500 bonus for paddy crops.
Rahul Gandhi emphasised that these guarantees would be fulfilled in the first cabinet meeting if the Congress formed the government in Telangana. Sonia Gandhi took the stage to announce the Mahalakshmi scheme for women.
During the rally, Rahul Gandhi criticised the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). He referred to it as the "BJP Rishtedar Samithi," accusing them of having a close alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Congress leaders also lashed out at Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, alleging that he has a secret understanding with the BJP and has indulged in rampant corruption.
Party President Kharge also stated that Congress had delivered its promise of a separate Telangana state while taking a jibe at Chief Minister KCR, claiming he brought it to the brink of bankruptcy with over Rs 3.60 lakh crore debt. Kharge added that the state was earlier financially surplus.
The Telangana state assembly elections are slated for December 2023.
The rally was held after the two-day Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Hyderabad concluded with party leaders expressing optimism about the upcoming assembly elections in five states and the determination to remove the BJP government in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party also discussed strategies for the elections and the INDIA alliance, a bloc aimed at countering the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the next general elections.
(With agency inputs)