INLD kicks off election campaign, promises 33% tickets to women
KAITHAL SAMMAN DIWAS RALLY Supremo Om Prakash Chautala, who is out on a two-week parole, addresses election rally at Kaithal on the 106th birth anniversary of party founder Devi Lal
KAITHAL:Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) on Wednesday kicked off its election campaign on the birth anniversary of its founder late Devi Lal with a promise to give 33 per cent tickets to women in the next month’s assembly elections.
“All parties make promise of reserving seats for women, but the INLD will implement it in this election. I promise that we will give 33 per cent tickets to women,” INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala said while addressing the Samman Diwas rally organised to mark the 106th birth anniversary of Devi Lal.
Chautala also said that youths will also be given preference in the ticket allotment.
Notably, the INLD which has suffered repeated jolts in the last one year as many of its senior leaders had left the party following a split in the Chautala family, did not field any woman candidate in the Lok Sabha elections. To boost the morale of the ticket aspirants, Chautala promised to bear the poll expenses of the candidates.
“You give us good candidates and will not impose anybody on you. I promise to reach out to every person across the state seeking votes for our candidates,” said Chautala, who is serving a 10-year jail in connection with teachers’ recruitment scam. He is out on two weeks’ parole.
He said party will declare its candidates on the October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. “Ek bar raj bana lo, hum aise kanoon bana denge aapko bhavishya me koi dikkat nahi aayegi (Send us to power, we will introduce laws so that you don’t face any trouble),” he said, adding “like Pandvas of Mahabharta, the INLD has completed an exile of 15 years”.
“We will bring policies to provide all facilities to you; your children will be given jobs as per their qualification, irrespective of their caste, religion and political association,” he said.
During his 25-minute speech, Chautala did not mention the Congress or INLD’s breakaway faction the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and kept his focus on slamming the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. “The BJP did not bring black black money, it instead took away your hard earned money by brining in several new laws and imposing hefty penalties on traffic rule violations,” he said.
Earlier, addressing the gathering, Abhay Chautala appealed to the people to vote for the INLD and made several tall promises if the party is voted to power. Among the promises he made were waiving loans up to Rs 10 lakh of farmers and small traders, free electricity supply to agriculture sector, one government job to each family, assistance of Rs 5 lakh under the Kanyadan scheme for the marriage
of every girl, hiking old age pension to Rs 3,000, free higher education for girl students, monthly unemployment allowance of Rs 15,000, two-room house for army personnel after retirement.
The government job aspirants will be allowed to appear in recruitment exams near their home with free travelling facility, Abhay said.
Abhay also accused the BJP of killing innocent people thrice during the Jat agitation, playing a role in sending Ram Rahim and Rampal to jail.
Former speaker and home minister of Nagaland Than Chu also addressed the gathering.