Chamba, May 7
Congress nominee from the Kangra Lok Sabha seat Anand Sharma today sounded confident of Congress victory in the Lok Sabha elections. Despite the surrounding clamour, voters are aware of the underlying reality, he said addressing a press conference at Chamba. Sharma was on his maiden tour to Chamba district after being nominated as party candidate from Kangra Lok Sabha constituency.
“This is world’s biggest elections where 100 crore people will vote to not only choose a government for the next five years but also fix accountability,” he said.
Sharma, who held important portfolios like Foreign Affairs, Commerce, Industry, Textile and Information and Broadcasting in UPA governments, said he was going among the public with his vision and the manifesto of the Congress, which has been made in with consultation with stakeholders from all the sections of the society.
The former Union minister said if elected, the Congress would fulfil all promises made in the manifesto, including Rs 1 lakh per year to women from poor families, legal guarantee for MSP and employment and one-year apprenticeship scheme for the youth, he said.
“The Agniveer scheme is a compromise with the security of the country and the Congress will restore the old system of recruitment to the armed forces,” he said.
For Kangra and Chamba, Sharma said, expansion of railway network, promotion of eco-friendly tourism and highway tunnels would be his priorities. He also listed his achievements as a Central minister and said some of the biggest institutes like IIT, IIM, IIFT, NIFT, etc, were opened in Himachal during his tenure.
On BJP’s claims of winning 400 seats in the elections, the Congress leader said it was sheer arrogance and insult to the democratic set up of the country.
Earlier, addressing party workers at Chowari, Sharma emphasized that Congress never engaged in deceitful politics. Citing significant legislative accomplishments such as MGNREGA, law ensuring food security and measures for women’s safety, Sharma said Congress delivered when it promised.
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