Rahul Gandhi sounds poll bugle in Telangana, announces monthly pension scheme for elderly

Khamamm (Telangana) [India], July 2 : Sounding a poll Bugle in Telangana, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday announced the 'Cheyutha' scheme which guarantees a monthly pension of Rs 4000 for the elderly, single women, widows and the differently-abled if it comes to power in the state.

"We are bringing about a historic scheme called Cheyutha. This will guarantee a Rs 40, 000 monthly pension for women, senior citizens in Telangana. We also promise to give Pothu land to the adivasis," Rahul Gandhi said while addressing a public meeting at Khammam.

Telangana elections are scheduled to be held later this year and Congress is leaving no stone unturned to woo voters.

In a dig at the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Rahul Gandhi proposed a new name for the party, calling it the "BJP Rishtedar Samiti," drawing a comparison between the BRS and the BJP government at the national level.

Rahul Gandhi criticized the BRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, accusing him of shattering the dreams of farmers, laborers, and the oppressed in the state.

"TRS has changed its came to BRS, the BJP Rishtedar Samiti," Rahul Gandhi said speaking at the Telangana Janagarjana Sabha at Khamamm.

Gandhi said, "Telangana was a dream, a dream of farmers, labourers and the oppressed. But in the last nine years, the BRS has shattered that dream. The CM thinks he is the king of Telangana. CM KCR thinks that he is the king and owns Telangana."

Rahul Gandhi also highlighted alleged "corruption and land appropriation by the BRS, asserting that the Congress party would return the land to its rightful owners once in power".

Rahul also promised "Podu land for tribals" if the Congress is elected to power in Telangana.

Podu is a traditional system of cultivation used by tribes in India, whereby different areas of jungle forest are cleared by burning each year to provide land for crops.

He also pledged to "provide land to adivasis and extend the scheme to include handloom workers, beedi workers, AIDS survivors, Filaria and Dialysis patients.

He attacked the BRS for aligning with the BJP, claiming that the TRS had become the BJP's "B team" by supporting the Farmers Bill in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi vowed to defeat the BJP's B team in Telangana, just as they had defeated the BJP in Karnataka.

Speaking at the Telangana Janagarjana Sabha in Khammam, he emphasized the party's commitment to uniting the country and its opposition to hatred and violence. Rahul Gandhi expressed gratitude for the support received from the people of Khammam, stating that Congress is deeply rooted in their hearts and blood.

Rahul Gandhi said, "TRS is taking back the land sanctioned by Congress to the tribal people. The land belongs to you not to the CM. Your CM (KCR) has left no stone unturned when it comes to corruption. He has stolen from every sector of the society."

Highlighting how the BRS has paired up with the BJP, he said, "In the Parliament, Congress stood against BJP, but TRS and CM KCR became BJP's B team. TRS extended its support to BJP for the Farmers Bill. PM Modi has CM KCR's remote control, therefore he does whatever is asked from him."

Rahul Gandhi promised that he will hand over the land taken by the BRS to its rightful owner when it comes to power in the state.

"In Telangana, it is a fight between the Congress and BJP's B team BRS. Just like we defeated BJP in Karnataka, similarly we will defeat their B team in Telangana. During the opposition meeting in Delhi, we made it clear to the opposition that Congress will not join the meeting if TRS is part of it...We can never make a settlement with BJP's B team," he said while pointing that Congress will not join any bloc where BRS is involved

"We spoke about uniting the country during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The entire country supported the Yatra showing that they do not support the spread of hatred and violence but uniting the country. Khammam is Congress' stronghold and the people have always shown their support. The people here understand our ideology. Congress is in your heart and blood," he said.

Rahul's Khammam public meeting comes after a meeting of the Telangana Congress leaders, attended by Congress Chief Malliakarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, at the All India Congress Committee office in New Delhi on Thursday. As per the reports, the meeting was called to discuss poll preparedness in Telangana due later this year.

The meeting came after former Telangana minister Jupally Krishna Rao and several Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders joined Congress on Monday in the presence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi at the AICC headquarters in Delhi.

Earlier, the Congress said that former AP and Telangana minister Jupally Krishna Rao, Ex-MP Ponguleti Srinivasa, former MLA Gurnath Reddy, Serving Zila Parishad Chairman Koram Kanakaiah, Ex MLA Payam Venkateshwarlu, DCCB Ex-Chairman Muvament Vijaya Baby, Pidamarthi Ravi, DCCB Chairman Thulluri Bramhaiah, Markfed State Vice Chairperson Borra Rajshekhar, Warya Municipal Chairperson S. Jaipal have joined the party recently.