Lucknow: After making an announcement to give 40 per cent tickets to women in upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi has promised to give smartphones and electronic bikes to girls. Priyanka has said that if voted to power girl students of class 12 would be given smartphones while e-scooty to those in graduation classes.
In poll-bound UP, Samajwadi Party and Aam Admi Party (AAP) have already promised to give 300 units per month free electricity to every household. With the announcement made by Priyanka on Thursday the race for promising freebies is likely to intensify.
On Thursday morning, Priyanka tweeted that she met with few girl students who informed her about the need for smartphones for studies and security. She said that the election manifesto committee of UP Congress has decided to give smartphones to the girls studying in 12th standard and scooty to graduate students. It may be mentioned that ever since Priyanka announced 40 per cent tickets to women in assembly election, a large number of girls have been coming to meet her every day at the UP Congress office.
Priyanka Gandhi has asked the manifesto committee headed by senior leader Salman Khurshid to work on the issues which are most relevant for the people of UP. It is expected that in coming days more such promises would be made by UP Congress.
According to a senior party leader, Congress has been taking feedback from the common people, workers and experts for the proposed manifesto of UP elections. A member of the committee informed that Salman Khurshid and national spokesperson Supriya Srinet have been consulting experts on issues related to UP. A team of Congress workers was sent to various districts to talk to voters and party workers on the manifesto. While few big promises to be made in the manifesto would be made public early, the entire manifesto is to be released at the time of election.
The Congress in UP has also decided to raise the issue of reintroducing kerosene oil in the public distribution system (PDS). According to Priyanka with the continuous rise in the prices of cooking gas it has become difficult for people to afford it. She said that the government has stopped giving kerosene under PDS and it is causing a great problem to people specially rural folks.
