Two free gas cylinders, e-scooters, scholarships: JP Nadda unveils BJP’s promises in Puducherry polls

New Delhi: Every household in Puducherry will get two free gas cylinders every year if the NDA returns to power, Union Minister and BJP national president JP Nadda announced as he announced a massive bike rally for the BJP ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls.Addressing the rally, Nadda said the NDA 2.0 government will prioritize “economic development” of the union territory through welfare and infrastructure measures. “Please visit every house and tell people that two gas cylinders will be given away free every year, one in Pongal and another in Vinayaka Chaturthi. Electric scooters will be distributed to meritorious Class 12 students. We will also set up 30 ATMs across UT and provide 10,000 scholarships of up to Rs 10,000. ” Nadda told party workers. He further cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development vision for the union territory, saying, “Modi once said, ‘Puducherry means the best.'” B stands for business, E for education, S for spiritualism and T for tourism. This is the motto for the development of Pondicherry. We assure you that under NDA 2.0, the government to be formed, we will focus on the economic development of Puducherry. ” Nadda stepped up his attack on the opposition, labeling the previous Congress-DMK government a “thug government” and accusing it of promoting corruption and lawlessness. “The Congress and DMK government has been a corrupt and criminal government that has brought misery to the poor. It is a government of thugs. Gondaism is at its peak and the drug mafia enjoys impunity. The streets of Puducherry are not safe and the law and order situation was not under control until the NDA government came to power,” he said. Highlighting India’s economic transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nadda said the country has risen from one of the “Fragile Five” economies to the world’s fourth-largest economy. “A lot has changed since Prime Minister Modi took over the country. In the last 11 years, under his leadership, we have gone from the 11th largest economy to the 4th largest economy. Soon, we will be the third largest economy in the world,” he said. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi refuted the BJP’s campaign rhetoric, claiming that the Puducherry government was “imposed from Delhi” and failed to represent the will of the people. Addressing an election rally in Rauspet, he said the BJP had “failed to grant full statehood” and accused it of favoring corporate interests. “It is clear that the government in Puducherry is not representative of the people of Puducherry but has been imposed by Delhi. The BJP wants Puducherry to belong to Mr Adani. The strategic Karaikal has been sold to him,” Rahul said. Gandhi also promised a series of welfare measures if the Congress-DMK alliance is elected, including monthly assistance of Rs 2,000 to unemployed youth, 30,000 new jobs, free bus travel for women, raising the age limit for government work and providing health insurance of Rs 20 lakh to each family. According to the Election Commission of India, polling in Puducherry will be held on April 9 and counting of votes will take place on May 4. The current Legislative Council consists of 30 members and its term will end on June 15. The race in Puducherry is turning into a three-corner battle between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (comprising the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party), the Congress-DMK alliance and actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vitri Kazhagam (TVK).