Rahul Gandhi makes ‘Delhi for all’ pitch
Congress will focus on the key issues of right to shelter, regularisation of contract labour and access to cheap water and electricity, said Gandhi
New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi launched his party’s Delhi assembly election campaign with a road show from a resettlement colony on Tuesday, saying the Congress will focus on the key issues of right to shelter, regularisation of contract labour and access to cheap water and electricity.
Gandhi, who does not usually participate in road shows—apart from those in his Amethi parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh—saw a well-attended gathering on the road—mostly daily wage labourers, shopkeepers and women. The road show, which lasted for nearly one-and-a-half hours, began from Rajiv Gandhi Colony in Govindpuri area and ended at a ground in Kalkaji, both in south Delhi.
The 44-year-old Gandhi scion is at the helm of attempts to improve the electoral prospects of India’s oldest political party but is facing an eroding support base. The party’s historic loss in general elections last year was followed by defeats in all state elections it contested as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gained political ground.
On Tuesday, Gandhi did not address any public rally, but spoke to reporters at the end of the road show.
“The most important issue for us is that Delhi should have a place for everyone, for poor people, for rich people and for the weaker sections," he said. “We want that Delhi’s future should be such that the poorest of the poor should get a place in Delhi."
He also attacked the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for not doing enough for India in the past six months.
“Since May, the NDA government is there and the Prime Minister is doing PR (public relations), his personal PR and no concrete work has been done till now. This is the reality and people are asking when will the talk end and when will the work begin," he said adding that the Congress party would return to power because it “stands for the poor, handholds them and will bring India back on the right track."
Elections to the Delhi state assembly are set for 7 February and votes will be counted on 10 February. The leading contenders are the BJP, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
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