Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday took a BMTC bus ride and interacted with women passengers to understand their vision for Karnataka. His interaction with college students and working women comes ahead of the May 10 Assembly elections in the state.
The former Congress chief stopped for a cup of coffee at a 'Cafe Coffee Day' outlet on Cunningham Road. At a close-by Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus stop, he spoke to a bunch of college students and working women. He then hopped onto a BMTC bus.
"They candidly discussed topics including the rising price of essentials, 'Gruhalakshmi' scheme (Rs 2,000 per month for woman head of household) and the Congress' 'guarantee' of free travel for women in BMTC and KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) buses," they said.
The women told him about issues of transportation, and also price rise affecting their budgets. Gandhi then got down from the bus at Lingarajapuram where he again spoke to women at the bus stop. Gandhi has addressed a series of election rallies in Karnataka. Today is the last day of campaigning. Counting of votes is on May 13.
Rahul chats with delivery partners, rides pillion on scooter
Earlier keeping in view the hardship of delivery persons, Gandhi on Sunday reiterated his party's promise to set up a Gig Workers' Welfare Board in Karnataka with a corpus fund of Rs 3,000 crore and minimum hourly wages for them. He spoke about the promise once again during an interaction with gig workers and delivery persons of various companies here in poll-bound Karnataka.
Over a cup of coffee and masala dosa, Gandhi discussed with them to get an understanding of the lives of delivery workers, lack of stable employment and rising prices of basic commodities, Congress said in a party release.
He also keenly listened to why the youngsters had taken up gig jobs, and what were their working conditions like, the release stated.
"Bengaluru alone has over two lakh people doing gig jobs. The Congress party has made specific promises for them in the manifesto, mainly to set up a Gig Workers' Welfare Board with a corpus of Rs 3,000 crore and to ensure minimum hourly wages for gig workers and other workers in the unorganised sector," the party said. Gandhi later hopped onto the pillion seat, and went on a ride with a delivery partner.
(With PTI input)
