13 April,2024 07:17 PM IST | Bhandara | mid-day online correspondent
Rahul Gandhi. File Pic.
Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday addressed an election rally in Maharashtra's Bhandara district. Targeting the Prime Minister, Gandhi said, "PM Modi says he belongs to Other Backward Classes; he should tell us what has he done for OBCs in last 10 years." Gandhi also emphasised that caste census is important for the future of the country.
The Congress leader also promised that the farmers' loans will be waived off if the party comes to power. "Loans of farmers will be waived if the Congress comes to power. People are distressed due to unemployment and inflation. The union government is working for a few industrialists, while common people are getting nothing," he claimed.
"Just 22 persons have wealth equivalent to that held by 50 per cent of the country's population. But Modi only keeps talking about religion and tries to create enmity among castes and communities," Gandhi alleged. He also claimed that the share prices of firms owned by Gautam Adani skyrocketed under the Modi regime, adding that Adani has stakes in every sphere from airports to ports to roads, bridges, coal mines and power plants.
Gandhi also slammed the centre's Agnipath programme saying that the Army was not in the favour of the Agniveer scheme and the Congress would scrap it soon after coming to the power.
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Rahul Gandhi was campaigning in Sakoli which is part of the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seat, from where the Congress has fielded Dr Prashant Padole. The constituency falls in the Vidharbha region of Maharashtra.
Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is also in the Vidharbha region from last few days, campaigning ahead of the polling day. Fadnavis held rallies in Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Nagpur on Saturday. BJP's prominent candidate, union minister is fielded from Nagpur constituency. While, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena candidate Raju Parwe is fielded from Ramtek constituency.
The region will go for the polling in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19.
(With PTI inputs)
