Millennium Post (Kolkata)

‘Modi created two Indias, one for rich & another for poor’

- OUR CORRESPOND­ENT

NEW DELHI: In a major move aimed at countering the “parivarvad” narrative, the Congress is all set to take a final call on the implementa­tion of its muchtalked-about ‘one-family-oneticket' formula to revive the party's fortunes in the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections and 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The final call on the implementa­tion of the “contentiou­s” rule would be taken by the party leadership at a brainstorm­ing session during ‘Chintan Shivir', which is scheduled on May 13 in Rajasthan's Udaipur.

As per senior Congress leaders, the mandate of the one-family-one-ticket rule is to give an equal opportunit­y to all dedicated party workers. The rule, once implemente­d, would restrict senior party leaders from building any pressure on the central leadership for the representa­tion of their kith and kin in any state Assembly or Lok Sabha polls.

Commenting on the developmen­t, Congress leader Sanjeev Singh, who is AICC chief national media coordinato­r, said, “The one-family-oneticket rule was one among the

DAHOD: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of creating two Indias, one for the rich and another for the poor, and claimed that the resources of the country are being given to a few wealthy people.

Launching his party's campaign for this year's Gujarat Assembly elections at an Adivasi satyagrah rally' in tribaldomi­nated Dahod district, Gandhi said he was confident that Congress will come to power in the state.

This is the first public rally of the Congress party in Gujarat in the run-up to the 2022 state elections, due in December. In 2014, Narendra Modi ji became the prime minister of India. Before that, he was the chief minister of Gujarat. The work he started in Gujarat, he is doing in the country. It is called the Gujarat Model, Gandhi said.

Today, two Indias are being created, one India of the rich, a few select people, billionair­es and bureaucrat­s who have power and money. The second India is of the common people, he said. The Congress party different other proposals that were discussed at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Monday. The proposal was discussed in the meeting that was chaired by party president Sonia Gandhi ji.” However, the party does not want two Indias but equality for everyone, he said.

Gandhi said Congress wanted proper distributi­on of resources for everyone, which it had ensured when in power in the past. In the BJP model, people's resources such as water, forest and land which belong to tribals and other poor people, are being given to a few, he said.

The Congress leader also said that the BJP-led government in Gujarat had deprived tribals of their rights.

The BJP government will not give you anything, but take away everything from you. You (tribals) have to snatch your rights and then only you will get what is yours, he said.

Gandhi said that tribal people worked hard to build roads, leader also maintained that if the proposal gets cleared at the three-day Chintan Shivir, the Gandhis would not come under the ambit of the rule.

At the brainstorm­ing session, the party would also discuss on another important bridges, buildings and infrastruc­ture in Gujarat but didn't get anything in return, including good education and health service. He also slammed Modi over handling the coronaviru­s pandemic in the country.

During the pandemic, the prime minister told you to bang pots and pans (from balconies) and flash your mobile lights when three lakh people died in Gujarat. The Ganga river was filled up with bodies. Between 50 to 60 lakh people died in the country due to coronaviru­s, he alleged.

You did not get oxygen, you did not get medicine, you were treated outside hospitals as no space was available and they told you to bang pots and pans, Gandhi said. proposal of granting 50 per cent reservatio­n for leaders of OBC, SC, ST and minorities in the party during Chintan Shivir. The proposal is aimed at wooing backward communitie­s to get the majority of the vote share in the upcoming assembly polls.

Other key issues that would be taken up during the brainstorm­ing session are the discussion on unemployme­nt and the rise in the prices of all essential commoditie­s resulting in to increase in the cost of living as well as formulatin­g a robust strategy to put a check on divisive and communal campaigns by BJP-supported groups.

At the Chintan Shivir, the party leadership would focus on chalking out strategies to bring more young leaders below 50 years of age into the party's functionin­g system.

As per party leaders, the ‘self-introspect­ion' meet of the party would be addressed by party chief Sonia Gandhi, who will set the tone for the group discussion­s on all important proposals. Above 400 leaders are expected to deliberate on various strategy papers and suggestion­s during the brainstorm­ing session.

The rule, once implemente­d, would restrict senior party leaders from building any pressure on the central leadership for the representa­tion of their kith and kin in any state Assembly or Lok Sabha polls

 ?? PTI/FILE ?? Congress President Sonia Gandhi with party leaders Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal arrives for the Congress Working Committee meeting, at the AICC headquarte­rs, in New Delhi
PTI/FILE Congress President Sonia Gandhi with party leaders Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal arrives for the Congress Working Committee meeting, at the AICC headquarte­rs, in New Delhi
 ?? PTI ?? Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressing a public meeting in Dahod on Tuesday
PTI Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressing a public meeting in Dahod on Tuesday

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