New Delhi: In his first visit to Karnataka since the announcement of the election dates, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said his party, if voted to power, would formally approve its poll promises in the first cabinet meeting after forming the government, news agency PTI reported.
Addressing a rally in Kolar, the Congress leader made four poll promises. ‘Gruha Jyothi’ offering 200 units of free electricity every month to all, ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ that would give Rs 2,000 per month to every woman head of the family, ‘Anna Bhagya’ offering 10 kg rice to each member of a BPL family every month, and ‘Yuva Nidhi’ where Rs 3,000 will per month be given to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 per month to diploma holders for two years.
“These schemes will be implemented on the first day in the first cabinet meeting itself,” Rahul Gandhi said during the ‘Jai Bharat’ rally on Sunday.
Further hitting out at the BJP-led government at the Centre, he asked the Congress leaders in Karnataka to send across a message all over the country that “if Prime Minister Narendra Modi can give thousands of crores to Adani, we can give money to the poor and women.”
“If you wholeheartedly help Adani, we (Congress) will wholeheartedly help poor, unemployed youth and women. You (PM Modi) do your work, we will do our work,” Rahul Gandhi said.
He also slammed the Basavaraj Bommai government in Karnataka over corruption issues, including allegations by contractors and private schools that they were forced to pay “40 per cent commission” and charges of “corruption” in the recruitment of sub-inspectors.
The Congress leader alleged that the contractors’ association had written a letter on the issue of “40 per cent commission” to the Prime Minister but he remained silent on it, that he termed was a “confession” that there indeed was corruption.
Earlier on Saturday, the Congress released the third list of candidates with 43 names for the upcoming state elections.
The party turned down the request of senior leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to contest from Kolar and fielded senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who joined the Congress on Friday.
The Congress has given tickets to at least 16 fresh faces in its third list, including former Union Minister and Opposition’s nominee for the Vice-President polls Margaret Alva’s son Nivedit Alva, and former state minister Motamma’s daughter Nayana Jyothi Jhawar.
The party had announced the first list of 124 candidates on March 25 and the second list for 42 constituencies on April 6. With the third list of 43 candidates, the Congress has so far announced the nominees for 209 out of total 224 seats.