Delhi polls: Congress vows to set up ‘Department for Purvanchalis’
New Delhi: The Delhi Congress on Friday sought to woo Purvanchali voters ahead of the February 5 Assembly elections by proposing to set up a separate government department to focus on the needs of 35 lakh migrants from east Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Addressing a joint press conference, congress leaders Supriya Shrinate and Kanhaiya Kumar highlighted the contribution of Purvanchalis in Delhi’s development and accused the AAP and the BJP of only treating them as a vote bank.
A separate ‘Department for Purvanchalis’ will do justice to the needs of 35 lakh people from the community living in Delhi, said Shrinate.
Pollsters believe that the Purvanchali voters have the potential to influence results on 30-45 seats out of the 70 Assembly segments in Delhi.
Kanhaiya Kumar said the Congress is committed to fighting against unequal treatment of anyone. “Delhi belongs to everyone but often Purvanchalis are ill-treated even though they are offering services to build and run the city,” he said.
Highlighting the party manifesto as a “Congress Coupon”, Kanhaiya Kumar, a former president of the JNU students’ union, said if the Congress comes to power, its guarantees will result in the family saving Rs 10 lakh over five years.
“A middle-class family can do so much with the savings of Rs 10 lakh in five years,” he said.
Hitting out at the AAP government of Arvind Kejriwal for poor development, he said voters must back the Congress for the overall development of the city.
Kanhaiya Kumar hit out at the AAP and the BJP for working for each other in the election. “When Arvind Kejriwal is fighting without joining hands with us, the onus is on him to prove who is fighting this election with,” he said, adding that the AAP came into being while opposing the Congress.
He also supported Rahul Gandhi’s proposal for a caste census.
AICC member Pranav Jha said, “The Congress plans to organise a Chhath Mahotsav on the lines of Maha Kumbh underway in Prayagraj. The Yamuna banks may be declared a separate district with its own security arrangement.”