NDA won’t even get 150 seats in polls: Rahul Gandhi
The former Congress chief stressed that his party and other Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc partners were protecting the Constitution.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will not even get 150 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Monday, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made up his mind to change the Constitution, something that will deprive tribals and other sections of their rights.
Addressing two poll rallies in Madhya Pradesh — at Jobat in Alirajpur district which comes under the Ratlam Lok Sabha seat and Segaon under the Khargone constituency — Gandhi reiterated that the Opposition INDIA bloc will ensure the 50% cap on reservation is removed in the interest of the people if voted to power at the Centre.
“These Lok Sabha elections are for saving the Constitution which the BJP and RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) want to scrap, change and throw away,” Gandhi, who was carrying a copy of the Constitution in his hand, alleged at Jobat. “BJP leaders have clearly said they will change the book (Constitution). They have given the slogan of ‘abki baar, 400 paar’. Leave aside 400, they won’t even get 150 seats.”
The former Congress chief stressed that his party and other Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc partners were protecting the Constitution.
Both Ratlam and Khargone seats, which are reserved for scheduled tribes (ST), will go to polls on May 13 in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
“It is due to it (Constitution) that the tribals, Dalits and OBCs are getting benefits. The tribals have the right over water, land and jungles due to the Constitution,” Gandhi said, adding Modi wants to snatch the people’s rights. “Their leaders have said that they will snatch away reservation given to tribals, Dalits and OBCs…We want to stop that.”
The Congress leader reiterated that if voted to power, INDIA bloc will raise the 50% cap on reservation.
“I want to tell you from this stage that leave aside (talk of) snatching reservation, we are going to raise it above 50%. The court has contained the reservation limit at 50%,” he said.
At Khargone rally, Gandhi promised to waive loans of farmers and raise the daily allowance under the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme from ₹250 to ₹400 if voted to power. After coming to power, INDIA bloc will enact a law to ensure that farmers get the minimum support price (MSP) for their produce, he added.
Attacking the BJP, Gandhi claimed that Modi has made 22 people “multi-billionaires” in the country. “Modi has failed to provide employment in the last 10 years. Tribals are migrating to other states for jobs. While your loans are not written off, loans worth ₹16 lakh crore of 22 rich people have been waived,” he alleged.
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