Sunday, 13 February 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
The general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Priyanka Gandhi has exhorted the people of Uttarakhand to vote for change and throw the BJP out of power in the state. On the last day of campaigning Gandhi addressed well attended public meetings in Khatima, Haldwani and Srinagar constituencies on Saturday.
In Khatima which is the constituency of Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Gandhi launched a frontal attack on the CM for doing nothing for his constituency. She said that in every state the CM at least takes care of his constituency but after boarding down from the Helicopter she was surprised by the pathetic condition of the roads in Khatima. Gandhi asked the people to ensure defeat of Dhami who despite being the CM failed to do anything even for his home constituency. “You should ask the CM that instead of distributing Bindi and Bangles here why he has not given employment,’’ she said.
Gandhi attacked the BJP government for highest unemployment and rising prices in the state and said that due to unemployment migration is taking place in the state.
She asked the voters to vote for the Congress candidate from Khatima Bhuwan Kapdi and Gopal Singh Rana from Nanakmatta. The chairman of Khatima municipal council Soni Rana welcomed Priyanka by offering her traditional Kumaoni Pichoda.
In Haldwani she asked the people to ensure victory of the Congress candidate Sumit Hridayesh.
Gandhi reached Srinagar the last venue of her public meetings for the day late. Here she cornered the BJP government for rising prices, unemployment and lack of health facilities. She said that small businesses which provide maximum employment were hit hard during the pandemic period and wrong policies of the Narendra Modi government. Gandhi said that only two businessmen have become richer in the BJP rule and the government has gone on a spree of selling Public Sector Units and state owned enterprises such as BHEL, Indian Railways, airports and ports and telecom companies. Gandhi said that the government is taking no heed of the problems of farmers and the pain of the unemployed. She charged the BJP government for reducing the budget of health and said that the people suffered due to lack of health facilities during the pandemic period.
Gandhi said that the BJP always talks about 70 years but in the last five years it has changed three chief ministers and did nothing else.
In an attack on PM Modi she said that PM has recently said in parliament that Congress party committed a sin by making arrangements for the labourers who were returning to their homes during lockdown. She said that the Congress party helped labourers when a sudden lockdown was enforced in the country. Gandhi said that the people should open their eyes and understand the divisive politics played by the BJP. She exhorted the people to teach the BJP and its leaders a lesson in the assembly elections.
Gandhi said that the Congress government would reduce the burden on the women by providing a cooking gas cylinder at Rs 500. She assured that four lakh employment opportunities would be created and Rs 40,000 per year would be given to five lakh families.
In all three rallies, a large number of women were present and Gandhi tried her best to woo the women voters by promising that free ride in roadways buses and 40 per cent jobs would be kept reserved for women by the Congress government.
The head of campaign committee of Uttarakhand Congress and former CM Harish Rawat was present in the rallies of Kumaon while Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ganesh Godiyal was present with Gandhi in Srinagar.
