Congress is going to sweep the Haryana elections: Rahul Gandhi

Congress MP and Lok Sabha leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of systematically dismantling the employment system in India.

Addressing a huge really in Assandh, as Haryana heads to polls on 5 October, Gandhi expressed confidence that the Congress would sweep the Assembly elections, vowing to undo the damage caused by the BJP.

Senior Congress leaders Kumari Selja, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and state unit chief Udaibhan attended the rally.

Gandhi charged the Modi government with favouring a few industrialists at the cost of ordinary citizens. "Ports, airports, airplanes, roads everything is in the hands of Adani. Meanwhile, you’ve been handed demonetisation, a flawed GST, and the erosion of small businesses,” Gandhi thundered in his first poll rally in Haryana.

Gandhi also touched upon the exodus of Haryana’s youth in search of better opportunities abroad, citing his recent trip to the US, where he met immigrants who lamented the lack of jobs in their home state.

“The youth of Haryana are crying, but Modi is busy marketing himself,” he said, calling out the government’s failure to address unemployment.

“Narendra Modi and the Haryana government have destroyed the employment system. The mother of one of the youths who have gone to America says that she wants to meet her son. The whole family is worried. But those youth cannot come back for ten years because there is no employment here in Haryana,” added Rahul.

Emphasising Congress' commitment to job creation and social welfare, Rahul pledged to fill 2 lakh vacancies in the state and promised a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) to support farmers.

He also outlined key poll promises, including Rs 2,000 per month for women and LPG cylinders at Rs 500, aimed at providing immediate relief to households.

Taking a sharp dig at the BJP's handling of issues involving athletes, Gandhi said, "Haryana’s players bring glory to the state and the nation. Yet, when female athletes face injustice, the BJP chooses to shield the accused. This is not the Haryana we want."

With polling just days away, Gandhi’s blistering critique of crony capitalism, combined with Congress' populist promises, set the tone for a high-stakes battle in Haryana.

Voting for the state’s 90 Assembly seats will take place on October 5, with results to be declared on 8 October.