Congress dubs BJP manifesto in Chhattisgarh as 'copy-cat'

The Congress on Saturday dubbed the BJP’s manifesto for the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls as a “copy-cat” and said those criticising its poll guarantees as “freebies” were now themselves pledging guarantees to win elections.

The BJP released its manifesto on Friday, pledging annual financial assistance to married women and landless agricultural labourers, paddy procurement at Rs 3,100 per quintal and cooking gas cylinder at Rs 500 to poor families among other things.

Speaking at a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Yesterday, the BJP came out with its manifesto (in Chhattisgarh). Those who used to criticise ‘revdi’ and our guarantees, the PM,…the manifesto that has been released by the BJP is a copy-cat manifesto.” “The LPG cylinder, paddy procurement prices, these are all Congress poll promises. When Rahul Gandhi ji had used the word guarantee then they (the BJP) had heavily criticised it and now they are talking about ‘Modi ki guarantee’,” Ramesh said.