No money to fight poll, facing hardship to support our candidates: Jairam Ramesh in Guwahati

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 11, 2024

“We have no money to fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. We are facing difficulty in supporting our candidates due to the fund crunch. They have seized all our accounts,” All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Jairam Ramesh said here on Thursday.

“Despite all obstructions, India Bloc will be able to show a good show in the election and secure a clear and convincing majority,” Ramesh said addressing a press conference at Guwahati Press Club here on Thursday.

“INDIA bloc will get a clear majority of over 272 seats. All regional parties from Northeast will line up to join the anti-BJP coalition after the Lok Sabha results are out on June 4,” he said.

“BJP is trying to scare us, but we are not. They are scared and that is why they are trying to scare us,” Ramesh said.

 Ramesh said: “They are putting all efforts to scuttle the progress of India Bloc. Our bank accounts were frozen and Rs 300 crore money received through public funding was stolen by the Prime Minister.”

 After a recovery notice was issued by the Income Tax department on February 13, multiple bank accounts of Congress were attached and frozen as part of a routine procedure followed by the IT department to recover dues.

On March 29, the IT department issued a fresh notice to the Congress party to pay Rs 1823 crore for discrepancies in tax returns for previous years.

“We are facing difficulties. The attempt is to make us disabled, but we will not. We will stand on our feet and fight back,” the Congress leader said. 

“We are humiliated daily and such attacks are being led by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma,” Ramesh alleged.

Ramesh said that the upcoming Lok Sabha election is to save democracy, the Constitution and the diversity of the country.

“The PM said it’s Amrit Kaal, but it is Anyay Kaal in reality. There have been injustices against farmers, youths, women, labourers and backward classes. This election is to get freedom from the last 10 years’ injustices,” he claimed.

“The Congress’ five justices with 25 guarantees are the solution to free India from the injustices. This is a guarantee of a party, not of any individual,” Ramesh said.

The Congress leader said they will distribute guarantee cards among 8 crore people of the country and 22 people in Assam alone.

Unemployment and price rise are two key issues for the congress party in this election, and the Congress ‘guarantee card’ is prepared to fight against such social inequalities, he said.

Referring to several top leaders who left the Congress party, Ramesh said: “New and dedicated young people are getting opportunities since others resigned. Many opportunist people left us to get cleaned in the washing machine. The best washing machine in the market is ‘Lotus Washing Machine’ and the best washing powder is ‘Modi Powder’. The Assam CM used it very successfully,” he further said.

“A new and strong Congress is being formed. People committed to our ideology are joining us now. People have made up their mind on who to vote for in this election,” he added.