Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Promises to Restore Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced on Saturday that the party’s top priority is to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. He emphasized that the state has never been changed to a Union Territory before and questioned why the BJP has not restored its statehood despite having the power to do so.
Kharge outlined several guarantees from the Congress party, including:
- Restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir
- Providing a health insurance scheme with Rs 25 lakh coverage for every family
- Offering a monthly benefit of Rs 3,000 to women heads of families
- Granting an interest-free loan of Rs 5 lakh to women
- Ensuring OBCs receive their constitutional rights
- Filling 1 lakh vacant jobs immediately upon coming to power
He criticized the BJP for not fulfilling their promise of providing 5 lakh jobs over the past five years. Kharge also addressed the alliance between Congress and the National Congress, despite some friendly contests on certain seats.
The first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls saw a 61.13% voter turnout, with the highest participation in Kishtwar district at 80.14%. Voting was peaceful across 24 constituencies in seven districts. The elections are the first since the abrogation of Article 370, with subsequent phases scheduled for September 25 and October 1. Votes will be counted on October 8.
Doubts Revealed
Congress President -: The Congress President is the leader of the Indian National Congress, a major political party in India. Currently, Mallikarjun Kharge holds this position.
Mallikarjun Kharge -: Mallikarjun Kharge is an Indian politician and the current President of the Indian National Congress party.
Statehood -: Statehood means being recognized as a state with its own government and certain powers. Jammu and Kashmir used to be a state but is now a Union Territory.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India. It used to be a state but is now divided into two Union Territories: Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party, another major political party in India. It is currently the ruling party at the national level.
Article 370 -: Article 370 was a part of the Indian Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. It was removed in 2019, changing the region’s status.
Health insurance -: Health insurance is a plan that helps pay for medical expenses. It can cover doctor visits, hospital stays, and medicines.
Financial support for women -: Financial support for women means providing money or resources to help women, especially those in need, to improve their lives.
Job creation -: Job creation means making new jobs available for people so they can work and earn money.
Voter turnout -: Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who actually vote in an election. A higher turnout means more people participated.
Kishtwar district -: Kishtwar is a district in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir. It had the highest voter participation in the recent elections.
Abrogation -: Abrogation means officially ending or canceling something. In this context, it refers to the removal of Article 370.
Assembly polls -: Assembly polls are elections to choose representatives for the legislative assembly of a state or Union Territory in India.