Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday assured women that her party was with them and would change their situation in difficult times while hailing their contribution to the freedom struggle and the creation of modern India. In a video message amid the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha election, she said the Congress has come up with a revolutionary step— the Mahalakshmi scheme—to ensure justice to the hard work and penance of women as they face a crisis amid severe inflation.
“Under Congress’s ‘Mahalakshmi’ scheme, we will give ₹1 lakh every year to a woman from a poor family,” she said. “Our guarantees have already changed the lives of crores of families in [Congress-ruled] Karnataka and Telangana. Be it MGNREGA [Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme], Right to Information, Right to Education or Food Security… Congress has empowered millions of Indians through our schemes.” Gandhi said Mahalakshmi is the newest guarantee to take the Congress’s work forward.
Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now!
Mahalakshmi is among the five pre-poll guarantees of the Congress designed after the Gruhalakshmi scheme in Karnataka.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reposted his mother’s message to women voters on X, saying: “Your 1 vote is equal to ₹1 lakh annually in your account.” He added the Mahalaxmi scheme was going to be a lifesaver for women struggling amid terrible inflation and unemployment. “With ₹8,500 being deposited directly into bank accounts every month, women of India will become free from financial dependence and will be able to write their own family’s destiny. So vote and change your circumstances,” wrote Rahul Gandhi.
In her first video message on Wednesday last, Sonia Gandhi urged voters to “reject the proponents of lies and hatred” and elect the Congress for a “brighter and more equal future for all”. She accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party of focusing only on gaining power at the cost of inclusivity. Gandhi said the “fact that the fabric of our society is being torn apart fills me with anguish” and urged the people to press the “hand button” – the Congress symbol – for a “stronger, more united India with peace and harmony for all”.
Sonia Gandhi, who is credited with playing a key role in Congress’s return to power in 2004, is unlikely to campaign physically. She is expected to canvass online. Sonia Gandhi shifted to Rajya Sabha this year after serving as a Lok Sabha member for nearly 25 years due to health and age-related factors.
