Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday urged the youths of Chhattisgarh to join politics through Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club. Addressing a programme of Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club in Chhattisgarh’s Nava Raipur, the state’s new upcoming capital, the Congress leader said, "Chhattisgarh is your responsibility, we want you to run it." He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre of spreading hate and violence in the country and said the Congress works to unite the people. Gandhi said that the BJP coined the term 'vanvasi' for the tribals which meant they (BJP) wanted the tribals to remain in jungle.
"We protected the land of tribals. We use the word tribal which means people who are originally the owners of India. You were the first owner of country's land, you have your right on land and water, he said.
"But BJP coined a term 'vanvaasi' which has a very different meaning."
"We want that tribal youths see whatever dreams they have and fulfil it. But they want that you remain in jungle and don't come out of it. They say you were not the owner of the country earlier, you lived in jungle and should continue living there," said the Wayanad MP.
"But we say you should have the right over land but your dreams should also be fulfiled," he added.
Gandhi alleged BJP of breaking India's financial backbone and said that the "upcoming governments of Congress in Telangana and Madhya Pradesh, they will be the government of the poor rather than being the 'governments of Adani'."
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo were also present at the event.
Taking a dig at BJP, CM Baghel said that if there is anyone standing between the mines in the state and Adani, it is Chhattisgarh's government, "won't let the state be looted."
This is Gandhi’s first visit to the poll-bound state after the Congress held its plenary session in Raipur in February this year which was also attended by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
Elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly is due by the year end along with Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Meghalaya.
In the 2018 polls, the Congress won 68 of 90 seats in the state, while the BJP finished a distant second at 15. The Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J) won in five constituencies and its ally BSP got two seats.
According to the ABP-CVoter Chhattisgarh Opinion Poll, the incumbent Congress is projected to retain the state but Bharatiya Janata Party is also expected to give a tough fight. As per the opinion poll, Congress is likely to win 48 to 54 seats and return to power while BJP is projected to get 35 to 41 seats.
The survey has projected a 2.5 per cent swing in the vote share of the Congress at 45.6 per cent from 43.1 per cent in 2018. Meanwhile, the BJP's vote share is expected to see an 8.1 per cent growth at 41.1 per cent from 33 per cent in the last assembly elections.