Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday urged the people to throw out the Bharatiya Janata Party regime in Uttarakhand and vote the Congress to power in the January 30 polls.
Addressing election rallies in New Tehri and Roorkee, Ms. Gandhi lashed out at the BJP for having presided over a loot cover-up operation while loudly talking about honesty and transparency.
“The five years of BJP rule have been one of deceit and loot of Central funds. They changed the Chief Minister when his deeds were exposed during the centrally funded infrastructure development works at Kumbh in Haridwar. But nothing changed after the new Chief Minister took over.”
Ms. Gandhi said the government utilised only 40 percent of the MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) funds, even as thousands of youths were seeking employment. Only 10 percent of the development funds reached the targeted groups. It was the BJP leaders who got richer at the cost of the poor.
At New Tehri, Ms. Gandhi assured the masses that a medical college and hospital would be set up and steps taken to resolve the Tehri Dam oustees rehabilitation issue. She also promised to provide more railway connectivity.
Ms. Gandhi entered the waterlogged Bhauradi stadium to meet the large number of women who had assembled to hear her despite hostile weather.
The audience clapped loudly when the local MLA Kishore Upadhyay urged Ms. Gandhi to ensure that Rahul Gandhi became the Prime Minister. The youth of the country wanted a youth to lead the nation, he said. He also sought a Himalayan Development Policy.
N.D. Tiwari's appeal
Interestingly, the beleaguered former Chief Minister, N.D. Tiwari, made an appearance at a public function in Haldwani seeking votes for the Congress. “I appeal to the people to vote back the Congress for development,” Mr. Tiwari said at the programme organised by his close confidante Indira Hirdeyesh who is likely to be fielded from Haldwani.
