Cong runs govt for poor: Rahul Gandhi in Rajasthan

Jaipur, March 10: Congress vice president

Monday said his party runs a government for the poor and would work for their development if voted to power in the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Devali town in Tonk district, around 100 km from here, he said the Congress-led UPA government got about 150 million people out of the below-poverty line in the last 10 years.

He said his party would work for the welfare of 700 million people in the country who were earlier classified as "poor" but now no longer live in absolute poverty.

"They are below the middle class, but above the poor class. If voted to power, the Congress aims to work for the development of this class and provide enough opportunities to them so that they can progress," Gandhi said.

The turn-out at the rally was beyond expectations as people broke the barricades put up by the administration to get a glimpse of the Gandhi scion.

Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Gandhi said the BJP does not see corruption in Rajasthan, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

He said the Congress will not allow the BJP to indulge in corruption like it did during its previous rule between 2003 between 2008 in Rajasthan.

"Congress workers will ensure that the BJP keeps from indulging in corruption. The workers would hit the road and leave no stone unturned to ensure this," he said.

He added that the Congress will give opportunity to new and young faces to contest the Lok Sabha elections.

"We will ensure that more and more new faces represent people in the country," he said.

Rajasthan Congress president and union minister Sachin Pilot, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and several other senior party leaders also addressed the gathering of over 75,000 people.

The Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan will be held in two phases. Voting for the 25 parliamentary constituencies in the state will take place April 17 and 24.

In the last elections in 2009, the Congress won in 20 constituencies, while the BJP bagged four seats. One seat was won by an Independent candidate.

IANS