Priyanka Gandhi calls for change in Bihar, unveils welfare promises at Motihari Rally
PATNA: Congress General Secretary and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday gave a clarion call for change in Bihar, emphasising the need for a brighter future for the coming generations. “Time for change has come; you have struggled a lot in the last 20 years,” she said, while addressing a rally in Motihari, East Champaran district.
The Congress leader announced several welfare schemes aimed at the people of Bihar, including Rs 2,500 monthly financial assistance for needy women, housing for the landless, free medical treatment up to Rs 25 lakh, 200 units of free electricity, and a Rs 1,500 monthly pension for the elderly, widows, and persons with disabilities. She also promised a job calendar to ensure timely recruitment across the state.
Earlier in the day, Priyanka Gandhi addressed a ‘Mahila Samvad’ (Women’s Dialogue) programme at Sadaqat Ashram in Patna, where she interacted with women from various walks of life, including ASHA and Anganwadi workers. Speaking as a woman, she said she understood their struggles and called for an increase in their modest monthly remuneration.
Referring to the Bihar government’s recent announcement of a Rs 10,000 payout to women, she criticised it as an attempt to buy votes ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. “Why wasn’t this given earlier during the last 20 years of their rule?” she questioned, adding that the amount would not be paid monthly and would likely stop after the elections.
In her address at Motihari, a place she described as sacred for its historical association with Mahatma Gandhi’s freedom movement, Priyanka said she saluted the land and its people. She accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of resorting to vote manipulation after their politics of polarisation and false promises failed.
Responding to the BJP’s repeated question of “What has Congress done in 70 years?”, she highlighted the party’s role in establishing industrial networks, building roads, and setting up education and healthcare infrastructure across the country, including Bihar. In contrast, she alleged, the BJP had privatised national assets, handing them over to industrialists like Adani and Ambani.
Criticising the 20-year rule of the BJP-JD(U) alliance in Bihar, she claimed there had been no progress or job creation in the state, forcing people to migrate for work. She lamented the decline in Bihar’s educational standards, recalling a time when the state was known for producing IAS and IFS officers.
Describing Rahul Gandhi as a true patriot who “walked 4,000 km to unite the country,” Priyanka said only someone like him, who understands people’s pain, can fight for justice. She said Rahul was committed to the upliftment of the Extremely Backward Classes, Backward Classes, Dalits, women, the poor, and other marginalised communities.
To address unemployment, she promised that the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) would issue a job calendar specifying exam dates, result announcements, and appointment timelines, with strict accountability for delays. She also pledged to fill all existing vacancies immediately.
Among other commitments, she announced that if the Opposition alliance came to power, MGNREGA wages would be increased to Rs 300 per day and the number of workdays doubled. She reiterated the promise of a health insurance scheme covering medical expenses up to Rs 25 lakh, citing successful implementation of a similar scheme in Rajasthan under the Congress government.
Additional promises included the establishment of residential English-medium schools, 30% reservation for EBCs (Extremely Backward Classes) and 20% for Dalits in panchayats and local bodies, as well as reservations in private educational institutions. She also said 50% of government contracts for projects up to Rs 25 crore would be reserved for EBCs.
Among the leaders present at the event were Rajesh Ram, Shakeel Ahmad Khan, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Tariq Anwar, Pappu Yadav, Sudhakar Singh, and others.