Ahead of the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election, Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that the Congress will provide 10 Kg free ration to the poor families if elected to power. He added that 10 Kg ration along with Rs 8500 per month will promote education and self-employment among millions in the country.

Taking to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Rahul Gandhi said that Congress has taken another big decision for the poor families of the country. He promised that his party will give 10 Kg free ration, instead of 5Kg. He also recalled that during the UPA government, the Congress has given legal status to the right to food through the Food Security Act. and that 10 Kg free ration will be the next step in the direction.

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of running a government of Adani, and making 20-25 billionaires, the senior Congress leader said that Congress will make crores of millionaires and run the government of Indians. Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also promised to provide 10Kg free ration if voted to power.

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday slammed BJP’s 5Kg ration policy at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli, where Rahul Gandhi is contesting. She said that 5Kg ration will not make one self-reliant, but employment will. She explained the electorates need to understand that political parties whose ideologies make people dependent is not right. She concluded that voters will choose employment over 5Kg ration that BJP promises.

Along with 10Kg free ration, Congress has also promised to start recuitment process for 30 lakh government post by August 15. The Party also vowed to provide the youth their first job of Rs 1 lakh per year. It also guranteed better working conditions, pensions and social security for the work force of the gig economy.

Furthermore, the Congress also promised start-up funds for young entrepreneurs at district levels from the national funds of Rs 5000 crore. The party also pledged to give National minimum wage of Rs400 per day, including all MGNREGS workers, and stop contractualisation of employment in core government functions.

Punjab BJP state President Sunil Jakhar recently said that his party will contest all 13 Lok Sabha sears in the state independently. The BJP has not allied with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) since 1996.

Sunil Jakhar in an interview with a news publication, said that this decision signifies a new chapter in the party’s strategy in Punjab. The BJP had allied with the SAD in Punjab for over two decades, and is considered to be a major coalition in the state’s political landscape.

The BJP state chief noted that the decision to contest independently was taken on the account of the feedback from the public and party members, reflecting a growing sentiment within the BJP to establish a stronger, independent presence in Punjab.

Jakhar continued that the Lok Sabha election was the most appropriate time for the BJP to contest independently, as the state is looking for an option. He asserted that Punjab tried out-of-the-box experiment in form of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), but are dissappointed with them.

He further highlighted the BJP’s work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly in securing minimum support prices for farmers, as key accomplishments that the party will present to the electorate. This development follows as the BJP aims to consolidate its position and expand its influence in Punjab.

Notably, the SAD was one of the oldest allies of the BJP. Nonetheless, the SAD severed ties with the NDA in September 2020 over the now repealed farm laws that saw widespread protests in northern India.

Speaking about coalition with SAD, the BJP state chief said that the alliance was not political but a social one. He added that the party is facing a battle of survival, and that its leader Sukhbir Singh Badal has sins to wash of, including the drug problem and sacrilege cases.

Election in Punjab’s 13 Lok Sabha seats is scheduled for June 1, 2024. This development is expected to significantly alter the dynamics of the electoral battle in Punjab, traditionally dominated by the SAD-BJP coalition and the Congress party.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was addressing a public rally in Hooghly on Wednesday where she said TMC will provide support to the INDIA bloc from outside if it comes to power after the Lok Sabha elections. She promised that the TMC will provide leadership to the INDIA bloc, and help them in every way possible from outside. Banerjee said they will form a government so that the women in West Bengal do not face a problem and those who work in the 100-days-job scheme, do not face any challenges.

The TMC leader claimed that Trinamool Congress will ensure that the INDIA bloc comes to power. Mamata Banerjee earlier had said that INDIA bloc will win at least 315 seats while the BJP will win a maximum of 195 seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Last month Banerjee cautioned voters in West Bengal against supporting Congress and CPI(M), as this would benefit the BJP by splitting votes.

The West Bengal CM said the BJP understands the situation well and despite its 400 paar slogan. She also mentioned former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s India Shining’ campaign in 2004 in this context and said everyone thought that BJP would win, but the mood of the people changed and they did not to vote for the NDA.

A day before Mamata Banerjee had addressed back-to-back rallies in Kalyani and Serampore where she asserted that the INDIA bloc will form the next government at the Centre by winning more than 300 Lok Sabha seats. She also claimed that the only guarantee is that BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not get a 3rd term at the Centre. Mamata Banerjee is a prominent member of the INDIA bloc, has been urging voters to maintain focus and avoid dividing their attention among other parties.