Puducherry Assembly election: Congress promises monthly grocery items worth ₹2,500, free education, and allowance for students

Terming the incumbent AINRC-BJP government in Puducherry as “corrupt,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday urged voters to “overthrow” the ruling combine and bring the INDIA bloc back to power in the Union Territory.

Introducing three Congress guarantees to voters at a public meeting, he said the party would ensure free education from the primary classes to research level. Students in government and private colleges would be provided a monthly scholarship of ₹2,000. The party would ensure grocery items worth ₹2,500 per month to all families through fair price shops and provide gold to women for marriage, he said.

Mr. Kharge said the ruling AINRC-BJP combine was only interested in opening resto-bars and distilleries. In the last five years, the government opened 400-odd resto-bars, he said.

“Instead of providing clean drinking water, the government was only interested in providing liquor to the people. The government also failed to control the drug menace in the region,” Mr. Kharge said.

Stressing the need for Statehood to Puducherry, the Congress president said the party had in its 2019 and 2024 manifesto for Lok Sabha polls promised Statehood for the Union Territory. “When our leader Rahul Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister, we will provide Statehood to Puducherry. It is a guarantee by the party,” he said.

“The RSS and BJP believe in taking away the rights of smaller States and Union Territories, including Puducherry. We will protect the rights of Puducherry and bring back development to the region. All medical colleges, including Jipmer, and educational institutions were established during Congress rule. The BJP does not have any development initiatives to showcase as their achievement,“ he said.

Questioning the AINRC-BJP’s track record, he said the government was involved in several misdeeds and executed schemes in a non-transparent manner. “There was no protection to life and property. Temple lands were grabbed,” he added.

Former Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, Congress candidates, including PCC president V. Vaithilingam, former Minister M. Kandasamy, and CLP leader M. Vaithianathan, were among those present.