It’s a battle between two ideas of India: Rahul

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi being presented with a bow and arrow at an election rally in Khandwa on Thursday.

Taking the fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party to Madhya Pradesh, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday told a well-attended rally in Khandwa that the 2014 elections were an ideological battle between the Congress and the BJP. “They [BJP] want two ‘Indias.’ One for the poor, tribal people, Dalits, workers and peasants. The other will belong to six or seven industrialists,” Mr. Gandhi said.

He said the Congress ideology was to lift the poor to the middle-class while the saffron party was working to make India shine at the cost of the poor.

Mr. Gandhi said if the Congress was voted to power, it would provide the poor the right to shelter, the right to free healthcare and the right to pensions in addition to the right to food, the right to education and the right to information initiated by the UPA government.

Campaigning for the Congress candidate and State president Arun Yadav, Mr Gandhi said in the past 10 years, the Congress had lifted 15 crore people above the poverty line. “If voted to power, the United Progressive Alliance III will strive to include 70 crore into the middle class.”

Addressing youth, Mr. Gandhi pointed out the need to encourage entrepreneurship and manufacturing to push for “Made in India goods” rather than have Chinese goods flood the market. “We will have ‘Made in Khandwa’, ‘Made in Madhya Pradesh’ watches, shoes etc.,’’ he said amidst cheers from the audience.

(With inputs from Pheroze L. Vincent)