For UP voters, it’s ghee versus free gas

SP supporters wave as party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s helicopter arrives during a public meeting, at Sarsaul in Kanpur on Tuesday. Pic/PTI

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday promised a kilo of ‘ghee' to the poor along with free ration for five years if his party comes to power in Uttar Pradesh while claiming that the BJP government was set to discontinue its own free-ration scheme.

"The poor, who are availing their rations, will get it till the elections. It will not be available after the elections. Earlier it was to be given till November but when the UP elections were announced, they said they would get it till March," Yadav said.

Addressing an election rally in Rae Bareli, he said the funds for ration has not been earmarked in "Delhi's budget as they know that the election will end in March." Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah promised free gas cylinders delivered at doorsteps on Holi if BJP is voted back to power in UP.

As he addressed a rally in Auraiya, Shah announced a host of sops including free electricity to farmers. In its poll manifesto, the BJP has promised schemes aimed at farmers that include free electricity, minimum support price for wheat and rice, as well as modernisation of sugarcane mills. Agencies

Cong faces existential crisis: Ashwani Kumar

Former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, who resigned from the Congress on Tuesday in the midst of the election cycle, said the grand old party had lost touch with the ground reality and no longer reflected the national mood. The 69-year-old Rajya Sabha ex-MP said he had reached his limits of perseverance in the party, which, he said, lacked inspirational leadership and is facing an existential challenge. He also said the party had failed to reinvent itself.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever