Cong banks on food, land bills to woo BPL
People below poverty line (BPL) would be the Congress’ political constituency in the coming Lok Sabha elections as the party is gearing up for “Garibi Hatao” — the historic slogan which had demolished the opponents within the Congress and outside in 1971 general election.
If Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had brought the party back to power in 2004 on the plank of “Congress ka haath, aam admi ke saath”, the party had retained the power in 2009 due to MNREGA and waving of agricultural loans of farmers.
This time, the Congress expects the Food Security and Land Acquisition Bills to check rivals in the electoral battle. This is because these programmes have identified the Congress with poor and BPL people, cutting caste, region and religion.
As part of preparations for a massive propaganda drive on the key measures, Congress is organising a workshop for its spokespersons and TV panellists on the Land Acquisition Bill to explain the benefits of the proposed legislation in the coming days.
A similar exercise on the National Food Security Bill was undertaken recently by the AICC.
The two bills, passed by the Lok Sabha and expected to get the approval of the Rajya Sabha this week, are seen by the ruling party as a “game-changer” in the general elections.
A Congress chief minister remarked that Mrs Sonia Gandhi is trying to fulfil the unfinished task of “Garibi Hatao” undertaken by former PM Indira Gandhi by working for ending the hunger and malnutrition among the poor and downtrodden.
Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh will be explaining the benefits of the proposed legislation at a workshop on Monday organised by party general secretary Ajay Maken who heads the AICC communication department.
Mr Maken said the idea behind the workshop was to propagate the “good work” done by UPA and take the “positive work” of the government to people.
After the workshop, plans are afoot to send the spokespersons to various states to apprise PCC office-bearers about the proposed legislation and also address media conferences.
The earlier workshop on the food bill had seen food and consumer affairs minister K.V. Thomas explaining to the spokespersons the nuances of the much-touted legislation to educate them on the right-based scheme.
A booklet with ready talking points has also been brought out to propagate the measure.
The refrain of party leaders like information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari is that the Food Security and Land Acquisition Bills are two landmark initiatives taken by the UPA government, and have no parallels in history.
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