Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the PM does not want the poor to get any power. He attacked PM Modi during his speech at public meeting in Sukma, Chhattisgarh.
"PM Modi does not want the poor to get any power. He keeps saying that he is a poor man and people (Congress leaders) cannot bear that he is a prime minister. He keeps making such statements. Did Bhupesh Baghel ever say that he is from the backward class? Did he say that the BJP is not bearing with him? Bhupesh Baghel never made any such statements," the Congress president said at the poll rally.
Kharge attended the Congress rally in Sukma to appeal to voters to vote for his party. The tribal-dominated and Naxalite-affected Sukma district has one assembly segment Konta, which is among the 20 constituencies where polling will be held in the first phase of the state elections.
"Let them say whatever they want, we will cross 75 (seats), not less than that. We will provide free education to children from primary to post-graduation, will give cylinders to women... The elected MLAs will decide (who the CM would be)," he added.
Congress promises welfare measures
Earlier on Monday, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on promised a slew of measures, including waiving of loans of Self-Help Groups and subsidised cooking gas cylinders under a new scheme in poll-bound Chhattisgarh, and slammed opponents for their 'parivarwad' jibe at her party by asserting it was "patriotism and faith in the country's citizens".
She hailed her grandmother Indira Gandhi and father Rajiv Gandhi for instilling patriotism in her in such a way that even the assassinations of the two former prime ministers could not shake her faith in the country.
Addressing a rally at Jalbandha in the Khairagarh Assembly segment, she also said around 6,000 government higher secondary and high schools will be upgraded to Swami Atmanand English and Hindi medium schools. She also promised up to 200 units of free electricity if Congress retains power.
Khairagarh is among the 20 assembly constituencies which will go to polls in the first phase on November 7. Six seats in Bilaspur district are among the 70 Assembly segments that will go to polls in the second phase on November 17. Votes will be counted on December 3.
(With agencies inputs)
