New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday shared a video of an unusual interaction during the Kerala polls in which he encountered a man dressed as ‘Yamaraj’ (Hindu god of death) on a bus in Barussery.The interaction appeared to be part of a campaign to promote the UDF’s proposed Oommen Chandy health insurance scheme, under which the alliance promises to provide health cover of up to Rs 25 lakh to every family in the state.
In the video, the mace-wielding “Yamaraja” tells Gandhi that he has lost his job because the proposed insurance scheme would make people live longer.Speaking about the encounter, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha said on X: “Yesterday, I met Yamaraj in a bus in Balussery, Kerala. Unfortunately, he was not particularly happy to see me or the other UDF leaders.“UDF’s Oommen Chandy health insurance scheme promises to provide health cover of Rs 25 lakh per family – this will make Yamaraj unemployed, but we will find him another job soon.”Highlighting the objectives of this pledge, Gandhi said, “Our mission is simple – no family in Kerala should bear the financial burden of a medical crisis. With Rs 25 lakh cover, we ensure that illness never deprives a family of dignity, savings or future. Healthcare is a right and UDF is committed to making this right a reality for every Keralite.”The health insurance scheme is one of the major welfare promises announced by the United Democratic Front (UDF) for the Kerala polls.
polling
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The alliance promised five Indira guarantees, including free travel on Kerala public transport for all women, Rs 1,000 monthly assistance to female college students, and increase in welfare pension to Rs 3,000 per month.Apart from this, UDF has also promised to launch the Oommen Chandy health insurance scheme to provide coverage of up to Rs 25 lakh per family and provide interest-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh to small businesses.Polling in Kerala is scheduled for April 9 and electoral counting will take place on May 4.
