Lok Sabha elections 2024: Will remove 50 per cent reservation limit, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses during a public meeting for Lok Sabha elections, in Khargone. Pic/PTI

Amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that if his party is elected to power at the Center, then they will remove the 50 per cent reservation cap and increase it further.

While speaking at Lok Sabha elections 2024 rally in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone Rahul Gandhi said, "Modi Ji wants to end your reservation. Their (BJP) leaders have clearly said that if our (BJP) government comes, we will snatch reservations from tribals, Dalits, and backward classes, and end reservation. They are talking about snatching, Today there is a limit of 50 per cent for reservation, we will cross this limit, cancel the limit of 50 per cent, and increase your reservation, the reservation of the poor."

He also said that if his government is formed in the country, then they will deposit Rs 1 lakh in the bank account of women of the poorest families in the country every year until the day that family crosses the poverty line.

"A list of all the poor people in India will be made. A list of every poor family will be made. A woman's name will be chosen from every poor family and the next coalition government is going to deposit Rs 1 lakh in that woman's bank account every year... Rs 1 lakh per year, we are going to directly deposit in the bank accounts of the poorest families in India... Narendra Modi has made 22 billionaires, now we are going to make crores of lakhpati. This money is yours, you pay GST, the country gets this money from you, you pay tax, you pay as much tax as Adani does but this wealth is not given to you that's why for the first time the government of India will give Rs 1 lakh in the bank accounts of crores of women...until the day that family crosses the poverty line," he said.

He also said the Congress party has decided to provide employment opportunities to all the graduates of the country for a year.

"We have taken a revolutionary decision in our manifesto. The scheme is called 'Pehli Naukri Pakki'. Just like we have the right to employment under MGNREGA, similarly, we are going to give a job for one year to the graduates of India, they will get training in it..and if they have done good work then the job will be confirmed, it will become permanent. 30 lakh government jobs are vacant, we will reserve them for you and we will give you employment," he said.

He also announced that if their government is formed then they would increase payment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) from Rs 250 to Rs 400.

"Today you get Rs 250 for MGNREGA, after the election, you will get Rs 400," he said.

"We are going to end the contract system in the government and the public sector. If you get a job, you will get a permanent job," he said.

He also promised to waive off the debt of poor farmers and enact a Minimum Support Price law if their government is formed.

"We are going to do two things for the farmers of India, first of all, right after the election, we are going to waive off the debt of the poor farmers of India. The second thing, for the first time in the history of India, legal Minimum Support Price (MSP). Meaning we will make a law that goods cannot be bought from a farmer below a particular price," he said.

The Lok Sabha elections 2024 in Madhya Pradesh are being conducted in four phases. The first phase of polling was held on April 19 and the second phase was concluded on April 26.

The next two phases will be conducted on May 7 and May 13. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

With 29 Lok Sabha constituencies, Madhya Pradesh ranks sixth among all states in terms of its representation in the Lower House. Of these, 10 seats are reserved for SC and ST candidates, while the remaining 19 are unreserved.

(With inputs from PTI)