Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Chhattisgarh and addressed a youth rally on Saturday, as the party gears up for assembly elections this year. He addressed a programme of the Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club, which was hosted by the Chhattisgarh Government, in Nava Raipur, the upcoming new capital city of Chhattisgarh. Gandhi accused the BJP-led Centre of working for the welfare of 2-3 billionaires of the country and said states governed by his party will have the “government of the poor” and not the “government of Adani”.
Lashing out at the Centre, Rahul Gandhi alleged PM Modi-led Centre for breaking the economic backbone of India. "BJP has broken the economic backbone of India. GST and demonetisation destroyed small businessmen and that was done deliberately," said Gandhi.
The former Chief of Congress further took a jibe at BJP over the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 and said "Before every election, BJP presents a number. They say they will get 230 seats-250 seats. But every poor person in Karnataka voted for Congress..."
Addressing a convention of Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club, Gandhi said the country cannot progress with hatred and violence. It will march ahead by taking everyone together with love, he said. Rajiv Yuva Mitan is a scheme of the state’s sports and youth welfare department.
The Wayanad MP claimed that the BJP calls tribal communities ‘vanvasi’ instead of ‘Adivasi’ because it does not want them to come out of the forest and fulfil their dreams in various sectors.
Gandhi reached out to first-time voters, apprising them about the development work undertaken by the state government.
This is Gandhi's first visit to the poll-bound state after the Congress held its plenary session in Raipur in February this year. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was also present during the function.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also addressed a public meeting in the poll-bound state. This is for the first time that the events of the two senior leaders belonging to rival parties are coinciding on the same day.
The Congress and the opposition both are eyeing the youth votes in the state. There are 48 lakh youth voters in the state and out of it 4.43 lakh are first time voters, state government officials said.
In the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress won 68 of 90 seats in the state, while the BJP finished a distant second at 15. The JCC (J) won in five constituencies and its ally BSP got two seats. The Congress currently has 71 members in the House.
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(With agencies input)
