For the Gujarat poll campaigning, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday addressed two large rallies in Surat and Rajkot covering the regions that go for the polls in the first phase on December 1.
Gandhi stated that under the BJP’s rule, there are two different Indias that are emerging.
“There is one India which is for the billionaires and the other India is for the poor, farmers and small traders. We don’t want two Indias. We want one India, just India,” he told the gathering at Rajkot.
Gandhi took a break from his Bharat Jodo Yatra to campaign for the party in Gujarat. He said, “It is unfortunate that the Yatra isn’t passing through Gujarat.”
At the Rajkot rally, Gandhi was accompanied by senior party leaders including KC Venugopal and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Gandhi also raised the issues of unemployment, price rise, injustice, and growing privatisation in education and the public sector.
Slams BJP
Alleging the impact caused by the ruling BJP due to demonetisation, the faulty rollout of GST and Covid-mismanagement, Gandhi said, “Note ban, GST, the steps taken during Covid, were not policies. These are the weapons to eradicate small traders and make way for two, three large players. They would do anything they want to and dream of. But for a common man, it isn’t possible.”
Gandhi also raised questions about why no action was taken on those responsible for the Morbi incident, which killed 135.
In the 2017 elections, the Congress party won 30 out of 54 assembly seats in Saurashtra-Kutch region, while the BJP won 23 seats. In the previous election of 2012, BJP won 35 seats, whereas the Congress was far behind at 16.