National News

Following Election Results, Women Flock To UP Congress Office In Pursuit Of ₹8,500 Monthly Stipend Promised By Rahul Gandhi

June 6, 2024
The Commune

On 4 June 2024, the Lok Sabha election results were announced defying the expectations of both analysts and exit polls. Finally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the dominant force, as the single largest party in the country with 240 seats.

The final count showed that the NDA coalition, comprising the BJP, JD(U), TDP, and other allies, clinched 292 seats, comfortably surpassing the 272-seat threshold required for forming a government. Within this, the BJP allies Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) won 12 seats and Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP secured 16 seats, collectively contributing 28 seats to the NDA’s triumph.

In a surprising twist during the Lok Sabha elections, the I.N.D.I bloc witnessed a significant surge in Uttar Pradesh due to their alleged promise of ₹1 lakh annually per household. Following this, numerous women in Lucknow gathered outside a Congress office, demanding the ‘guarantee cards’ promised by the party during its campaign. Before the elections, the Congress had illegally distributed ‘guarantee cards’ to many households during the campaigns, pledging ₹1 lakh annually to the female head of each economically disadvantaged family. Footage depicted a substantial number of Muslim women queuing outside a Congress office in Lucknow despite the scorching weather.

While some women requested these ‘guarantee cards’, others who had already received them previously submitted forms to facilitate the money’s transfer into their accounts. Certain women reported having received receipts from the Congress office after submitting their forms, detailing the process to obtain the funds.

 The Congress had initiated the ‘Ghar Ghar Guarantee’ program, instructing leaders to engage with approximately 80 million households and inform them about its 25 assurances. One such guarantee was the Mahalakshmi scheme, committing to deposit ₹8,500 monthly into the accounts of female heads of families classified under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category.

IANS reported that since 8:00 AM on 5 June 2024, a group of Muslim women congregated outside the Congress office. Their purpose was to seek the realization of Rahul Gandhi’s pre-election pledge to grant women a monthly allowance of 8,500 rupees. “We are here because we were promised to receive 8,500 rupees monthly…” said one of the women.

 Recently, the General Post Office in Bengaluru witnessed a surge in women opening accounts in anticipation of receiving a monthly deposit of ₹8,500 if the INDIA bloc assumed power at the national level. Despite the GPO’s efforts to counter the misinformation through banners, announcements, and police assistance, the influx of hopeful applicants persisted. H.M. Manjesh, Chief Postmaster of the Bengaluru GPO, lamented, “We have put up banners in Kannada and English, informing them that the Department will credit no such money. Additionally, we have also been announcing this information on microphones. In spite of this, people have crowded outside, eager to open IPPB accounts.” He added, “People started gathering here as early as 10 a.m. and have come from as far as Kolar.”

(with inputs from India Today)

Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.