Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh Addresses Press on Chhattisgarh Assembly Election-2023

• Issues of local relevance and party commitments highlighted

TFP Bureau, Raipur, Nov 1, 2023: Speaking at a press conference held at Rajiv Bhawan, All India Congress Committee’s General Secretary and media in-charge, Jairam Ramesh, emphasized the localized nature of the forthcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly Election-2023. He emphasized that this electoral event isn’t a national-scale election akin to the Lok Sabha but one focused on the state’s concerns and aspirations.

Ramesh stressed the Congress Party’s emphasis on local issues in their election campaign, centering around the specific needs and hopes of Chhattisgarh residents. He highlighted the party’s opposition to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), characterizing BJP’s strategy as primarily centered on polarization and devoid of substantial issues for the state.

The Congress leader expressed concerns over the repeated focus on polarization by key BJP figures such as the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Chief Ministers of other states, who visited Chhattisgarh. Ramesh indicated that the Congress party had presented a memorandum to the Election Commission against their speeches, citing concerns over the polarization strategies adopted in their speeches.

Furthermore, Ramesh criticized the BJP’s approach, stating that the party’s leaders, including the Prime Minister, have focused on unwarranted criticism of the Congress, pointing out the discrepancy between the promises made by the Prime Minister and the actual actions of the government. He specifically addressed the issue of privatization, citing examples of the Nagarnar Steel Plant and highlighting the detrimental impact of the Modi government’s privatization policies on Chhattisgarh’s railway services.

Ramesh advocated for equality among states and cautioned against discriminatory policies, highlighting the need to protect the federal structure enshrined in the Constitution. The Congress representative also marked the day as Chhattisgarh’s Foundation Day and acknowledged the party’s commitments, particularly the initiation of the promise for paddy procurement at a specific rate of 20 quintals per acre, effective from the state’s Foundation Day.

The press conference underlined the focal points of the Congress campaign, emphasizing the party’s commitment to local concerns and criticizing BJP’s alleged issue-less strategy primarily driven by polarization.