Rajasthan polls: Rs 10,000 offered by Congress to women heads of houses

Jaipur: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a Congress leader, attacked the BJP-led Centre on Wednesday for its "hollow" welfare initiatives. She was speaking at a rally where her party had promised to give the women heads of families in Rajasthan an annual honorarium of Rs 10,000.

At a public rally addressed by Gandhi, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot promised two "guarantees" if the Congress is re-elected in the state -- cooking gas cylinders for Rs 500 to 1.05 crore families and an annual honorarium of Rs 10,000 to the woman head of a family.

The rally was organised at Ardawata village in Jhunjhunu district. It was the second rally of Gandhi in poll-bound Rajasthan within a week.

The Congress general secretary said a bill for women's reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies has been passed in Parliament, but it will take 10 years to implement it.

She also pointed out that 10 years have gone by since the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) was announced.

The ERCP is an ambitious project that will help augment the irrigation facilities in an area of around 2 lakh hectares and address the drinking water problems of 13 districts in eastern Rajasthan.

"Their (Centre's) schemes are hollow, whereas the schemes of the Congress government (in Rajasthan) are being implemented on the ground," Gandhi said.

She said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has understood that talking about religions and castes during polls will get votes for it.

"The Centre tries to suppress people. It only wants to be in power and secure its future," Gandhi said.

She also alleged that the BJP-led Centre is running for a select few industrialists and there is no hearing of public issues in this government.

"You need to understand what kind of leaders and governments you want -- those who look for their own future and to be in the government and when elections come, talk about religion or the leaders who work for you.

"It is your responsibility to make a leader accountable. The truth is that there are people who indulge in the politics of religion and that is where their accountability ends. They have understood that during elections, they should talk about religion as everyone's sentiments are connected to it ... and that will get them votes. They have understood that there is no need to work, just talk about religions and castes and that will get them votes," the Congress leader said.

She asked the people to wake up to this or else, this system will not come to an end.

"A leader has to work and perform," Gandhi said.

She also said the announcements of the Narendra Modi government and BJP are hollow and empty.

Gandhi took a jibe at Prime Minister Modi and referred to an incident which she said she saw on television and which could be true or false.

She said Modi went to the Devnarayan temple in Bhilwara and dropped an envelope in the donation box, which was opened six months later by the priest in the presence of other people only to find that it contained Rs 21.

A section of the media reported last month that when the priest opened the donation box, a white envelope with Rs 21 in it was found. It was claimed by the priest that the envelope was dropped by the prime minister during his visit to the temple in January.

However, the claim could not be corroborated.

"I have understood one thing that Modi's envelope is empty," Gandhi said, adding that like that envelope, the promises and announcements made by the BJP are empty and the party has nothing to offer.

Gandhi said the BJP speaks of women's reservation but it will be implemented after 10 years.

"They talked about OBC reservation, but when we raised the issue of a caste census, they went silent because they had also spoken of the ERCP, but nothing happened," she said.

"Their announcements are hollow, but all the guarantees and promises made by the Congress government have been executed on the ground," she added.

The Congress leader lauded the schemes announced by the state government, such as the Chiranjeevi health scheme, the old pension scheme and the inflation relief camps, among others.

She also talked about "divisions" in the BJP.

"Modi asks to vote for him. He is not going to be the chief minister. He is the prime minister," she said.

"The BJP is a scattered party, which is not taking care of your future and is causing inflation. On the other hand, the Congress is dedicated to you," Gandhi said.

She said in the Congress, there are young leaders like Sachin Pilot as well as experienced hands like Gehlot.

Gehlot announced that under the "Grah Laxmi Guarantee" scheme, the woman head of a family will be given Rs 10,000 a year in instalments.

He also promised that 1.05 crore families will get LPG cylinders for Rs 500 if Congress retains power in the state.

State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and Transport Minister Brijendra Ola also addressed the rally where MLA Shobharani Kushwah, who was expelled from the BJP for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls last year joined the Congress, along with three others.

Gandhi welcomed the four leaders into the party fold.

BJP leader from Kishangarh, Vikas Chaudhary, and former National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Mamta Sharma also joined the Congress.

Chaudhary was disgruntled over the BJP denying him a poll ticket from the Kishangarh Assembly seat.

At the rally, Gandhi unveiled the statue of former Union minister Sisram Ola, father of Transport Minister Brijendra Ola.

The 200-member Rajasthan Assembly will go to polls on November 25 and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 3.

With PTI inputs