2024 LS polls: Rahul Gandhi held over 100 rallies & public interaction programmes; Kharge gave 50 interviews
New Delhi, May 30 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) The Congress’ electioneering for the 2024 polls, initially started off on a slow note on March 16 but soon picked up pace with the party’s top leadership taking to the hustings and wooing the electorate with a slew of poll promises. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi steered the party’s poll campaign for over a two and a half month period and did high-pitched canvassing across the length and breadth of the country. In the 75-day period, from March 16 to May 30 (as campaigning ends), Rahul Gandhi engaged with the public via election rallies, roadshows, public interactions and other campaign events including Nyay Sammelans and Nyay Manch. As per the party’s campaign organisers, the Wayanad MP addressed a total of 107 poll rallies along with public interaction programs during the 75-day period. In the later phases of the campaign, he was seen addressing at least two election rallies on a daily basis. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also did not stay behind in terms of public outreach programmes. The octogenarian leader held more than 100 public meetings, addressed more than 20 press conferences and gave over 50 interviews during the entire stretch of canvassing. The major poll plank of Congress has been financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh yearly to women of poor families and youth under apprenticeship programmes. In the middle of electioneering, Rahul Gandhi and Congress leaders came under direct attack from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP because of caste census pledge and the promise of wealth re-distribution as under ‘aadhi abaadi, aadha haq’ pledge. Towards the final phases, an ’embattled’ Congress sought to tactically drop its focus on re-distribution of resources pledge and sought to hardsell its ‘freebies’ proposal under which it has promised Rs 1 lakh assistance to women and youth of the country. Kharge in a recent press conference also promised to double the free ration scheme, as existing under Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government. Rahul Gandhi’s promise of ‘khata khat’ transfer of money into people’s accounts every month drew traction among citizens also, as visible in recent election rallies. Besides Rahul Gandhi and Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi led the party’s campaign from the front and mounted an aggressive campaign to win the family bastion of Raebareli, the second constituency from where her brother Rahul is contesting the Lok Sabha polls. –
