Reacting to the announcements made by Priyanka Gandhi during a Congress meeting in Khairagarh, BJP National Vice-President Dr Raman Singh criticised Congress’ announcement of a subsidy of Rs 500 on gas cylinder refills. He pointed out that it was the BJP government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that provided not only subsidies on gas cylinders but also implemented the Ujjwala scheme, ensuring access to clean cooking fuel for the poor. Regarding the promise of free electricity up to 200 units, Singh highlighted that Congress had previously pledged to halve electricity bills. In contrast, the BJP government managed to not only reduce electricity bills but also ensure uninterrupted power supply, making Chhattisgarh a zero power-cut state. Dr Raman Singh also criticised the Congress government for its treatment of women’s self-help groups in State. He claimed that the Congress government had disadvantaged these groups and handed their work over to private contractors.

 

He also pointed to a deterioration in women’s safety, citing a recent incident of a minor being raped in the parking lot of the ASP office in Raipur. Regarding the announcement of 700 new rural industrial parks, Dr Singh brought up a previous promise made by Rahul Gandhi to establish 200 food parks, of which only a fraction had materialised. He accused Congress of attempting to mislead the public with grandiose promises. Dr Singh questioned Congress’s commitment to education, asserting that State had regressed in this regard during the past five years. He mentioned that, during the BJP’s 15-year rule, more than 40,000 schools were built, and numerous premiere educational institutions such as NIT, IIT, IIM, IIIT, HNLU, and AIIMS were established in the state. He accused the Congress government of merely renaming schools that were constructed during the BJP’s tenure. Responding to the announcement of free treatment for residents of Chhattisgarh in road accidents and sudden accidents, Dr Singh noted that similar initiatives were previously implemented by the BJP government, including the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which provided healthcare facilities.

 

He also criticised the Baghel for the condition of Chhattisgarh’s roads. Dr Raman Singh argued that the people of Chhattisgarh have lost faith in the current Congress government due to unfulfilled promises and alleged corruption. He suggested that Congress’s resort to central leaders for campaigning indicated a lack of confidence in Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s ability to secure votes. He expressed confidence that the Congress government, which he accused of corruption worth over Rs 15,000 crore, would face defeat in Chhattisgarh.