The Congress has raked up their effort in winning the upcoming assembly elections, being considered the semi-finals before the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls. The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has been hitting out the grand old party in their election rallies, targeting what the former calls ‘freebies’ or poll guarantees.
The saffron party has been alleging that Congress was promising ‘freebies’ in poll-bound states in order to gain votes. Noatbly, the BJP has also named this allegation as ‘revdi culture’ of the Congress.
On Friday West Bengal Pradesh Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury hit out at the allegation and citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promises before elections, “What is the definition of freebies? Before 2014, Modi Ji said that ₹15 lakhs would be given to every individual in the country.”
“This kind of freebies were not realised as they were ‘jumlas’ by Modi ji. Whereas, we are following our promises in both letter and spirit.” Chowdhury added.
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Poll promises, guarantees, also termed ‘freebies or revdi’ has been a point of friction between rival parties Congress and BJP. While Congress as part of the Opposition INDIA bloc looks forward to thwart the saffron party led- National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s attempt to return to power for the third straight term, neither side has left any stones unturned in their efforts.
Last week the Supreme Court of India had issued notice to the centre, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and Election Commission of India, in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against freebies distribution during elections.
The PIL alleged the distribution of cash and other freebies is done at the behest of taxpayers’ expenses.
Before the Karnataka Assembly Elections, PM Modi had hit out at the Congress on the issue of distributing freebies, and said that when the party’s warranty itself has expired, its guarantees have no meaning.
PM Modi had emphasised that the country will get immersed in debt because of freebies, and said that the country and the governments cannot be run on ‘revdi’ culture.
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Updated: 13 Oct 2023, 04:06 PM IST