Rahul Gandhi Promises Statehood, Criticizes BJP Over Puducherry Governance
Rahul Gandhi attacks BJP, pledges Puducherry statehood, outlines Congress promises.
Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the BJP of running Puducherry through “remote control” from Delhi, alleging that the Union Territory is being governed for corporate interests rather than the people. Speaking at a public rally ahead of the April 9 Assembly elections, Gandhi claimed the BJP had failed to fulfill its promise of granting full statehood to Puducherry.
Addressing voters, Gandhi reiterated Congress’s commitment to statehood for the Union Territory and promised to hold civic polls within six months of coming to power. “Let’s have a government that truly represents the voice of local people,” he said, appealing to the electorate to support Congress and its alliance candidates.
Gandhi also criticized the Union Territory’s economic situation, alleging that Puducherry’s industrial and textile sectors were in “terminal decline” with hundreds of factories shut down. He accused the administration of widespread corruption, claiming that officials take “30% commission on all contracts” and likening the government to a “collection agent.”
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Targeting corporate influence, he specifically alleged that the strategic Karaikal Port had been sold to billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani, asserting that the BJP wants Puducherry to serve private interests. Gandhi further highlighted irregularities in the pharmaceutical sector, claiming that the territory had become a hub for counterfeit drugs and that authorities had taken no action against the large-scale production of fake medicines.
He warned that the proliferation of fake drugs was more than just a corruption issue, describing it as “murder” due to the potential harm spurious medicines pose across the country. Gandhi said the Congress alliance would prioritize public welfare and outlined its election promises, including Rs 2,000 monthly support for unemployed youth, creation of 30,000 jobs, free bus travel for women, relaxed age limits for government jobs, and Rs 20 lakh health insurance coverage per family.
Puducherry will go to polls on April 9 for 30 Assembly constituencies. The ruling All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) is contesting 16 seats, its ally BJP 10, and AIADMK and LJK two each. On the opposition side, Congress is contesting 16 seats, DMK 13, and VCK one, alongside six unofficial Congress candidates in select constituencies.
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