Gehlot promises Rajasthan-like schemes if Cong wins in Gujarat

India

pti-PTI

Ahmedabad,
Aug
24:
Rajasthan
Chief
Minister
Ashok
Gehlot
on
Wednesday
promised
that
several
people-oriented
and
social
welfare
schemes
implemented
in
his
state
by
the
ruling
Congress,
will
be
replicated
in
Gujarat
if
the
party
is
voted
to
power
following
the
Assembly
elections
due
later
this
year.

These
schemes
will
also
find
a
mention
in
the
party’s
manifesto
for
the
Gujarat
elections,
he
said,
adding
that
industrial
development
will
also
be
promoted
on
the
lines
of
Rajasthan.
In
Ahmedabad
to
hold
meetings
on
the
Gujarat
Assembly
poll
preparations,
Gehlot
while
talking
to
reporters
denied
speculations
that
he
was
the
top
choice
to
be
the
next
Congress
president.

Gehlot
said
if
the
Congress
is
voted
to
power
in
Gujarat,
it
will
introduce
a
health
insurance
scheme
like
the
one
implemented
in
Rajasthan,
old
pension
scheme,
separate
agriculture
budget
and
day-time
electricity
to
farmers,
employment
guarantee
scheme,
quality
food
for
Rs
8
per
plate,
English
medium
schools,
among
other
things.

“We
are
here
to
win
the
election.
BJP
is
exposed
after
27
years
of
its
rule
in
Gujarat…Rahul
Gandhi
has
said
that
the
(Congress’s)
election
manifesto
will
be
based
on
what
the
public
thinks,
which
is
what
was
done
the
last
time,”
he
said.
“People-oriented
schemes
that
were
implemented
in
Rajasthan
after
the
Congress
formed
a
government
there
will
be
rolled
out
in
Gujarat
as
soon
as
it
comes
to
power
here
and
will
find
a
place
in
the
party’s
election
manifesto,”
he
added.
The
Congress
government
will
implement
the
Chief
Minister
Chiranjeevi
Health
Insurance
Scheme,
wherein
beneficiaries
can
avail
cashless
treatment,
he
said.

Did
Sonia
Gandhi
ask
Ashok
Gehlot
to
take
over
party
reins?
He
responds

The
government
will
also
come
up
with
the
old
pension
scheme
for
all
those
who
have
joined
government
jobs
after
January
1,
2004.
It
will
provide
electricity
for
agriculture
during
the
day,
which
has
been
implemented
in
16
out
of
33
districts
of
Rajasthan,
with
the
rest
of
the
districts
to
be
covered
by
next
year,
Gehlot
said.

“The
new
government
will
also
provide
Rs
5
per
litre
milk
subsidy
to
dairy
farmers,
implement
‘Indira
Gandhi
Urban
Employment
Guarantee
Scheme,’ financial
assistance
for
widows,
orphans,
‘Indira
Rasoi
Scheme’
to
provide
fresh
and
nutritious
food
at
Rs
8
per
plate
in
urban
areas,
opening
of
English
medium
schools,
etc,”
the
senior
Congress
leader
said.

He
said
that
the
new
government
will
also
encourage
investment
in
Gujarat
on
the
lines
of
‘Rajasthan
State
Industrial
Development
and
Investment
Corporation
Ltd
(RIICO)’
and
‘Rajasthan
Investment
Promotion
Scheme
(RIPS).’
Last
week,
the
party
launched
its
Gujarat
election
manifesto
campaign
and
assigned
the
task
to
former
AICC
general
secretary
Deepak
Babaria.

Teams
of
party
workers
will
hold
meetings
across
the
state
and
collect
suggestions
gathered
from
the
people
which
will
be
reviewed
by
the
committee
before
they
are
finalised
and
put
into
the
manifesto,
party
leaders
said.
Gehlot
said
he
is
working
as
the
senior
observer
for
Gujarat
polls
and
as
the
CM
of
Rajasthan
on
the
party
high
command’s
direction.

“I
have
been
given
the
job
of
senior
observer
for
the
Gujarat
elections
by
the
high
command,
I
am
fulfilling
this
duty.
Secondly,
I
have
been
made
to
work
as
the
chief
minister
and
I
am
not
compromising
on
it,
working
day
and
night
as
our
aim
is
to
again
form
government
there
(in
Rajasthan),” he
said.
Asked
about
reports
appearing
in
a
section
of
media
that
he
is
seen
as
the
top
choice
for
the
Congress
president’s
post,
Gehlot
said,
“I
am
hearing
it
from
the
media.

We
started
210
new
schools
in
Rajasthan
in
last
three
years:
Gehlot

My
media
friends
also
asked
me
in
Delhi
as
to
when
I
am
becoming
(the
party
president).
I
don’t
know.
Don’t
know
how
media
friends
come
across
such
things.”
As
the
countdown
for
the
Congress
president
election
has
begun,
Gehlot
had
earlier
said
Rahul
Gandhi
should
accept
the
role
considering
sentiments
of
the
party
workers
across
the
country.

Gehlot
had
said
the
party
was
“unanimously”
in
favour
of
Rahul
Gandhi
for
the
post.
The
party’s
election
authority
has
said
it
will
stick
to
the
schedule
of
electing
a
new
chief
by
September
20.