New Delhi, Jan 21 (FN Representative) Congress on Friday launched a manifesto for youth ahead of the Uttar Pradesh polls and promised 20 lakh jobs, including eight lakh for women in the state. The manifesto was unveiled by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary and in charge for Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi. “We have talked extensively with youth of Uttar Pradesh before creating this manifesto. The thought is that the future of the youth of Uttar Pradesh, it’s a strategy how we will get them employment,” Priyanka Gandhi said. The Congress leaders stressed on taking forward a “positive agenda” for the state, and slammed the BJP government for alleged high rates of unemployment.
“Our understanding and our belief is that India requires a new vision. The vision that was proposed by BJP has totally failed. It is turning our demographic dividend into demographic disaster,” Rahul Gandhi said. “Even people in BJP if you ask them will say something has gone very wrong. If you’re proposing a new vision you have to start from UP. Every state is important but UP weighs like no other state,” he said. Asked about possibility of a post poll alliance in the state with like minded parties, Priyanka Gandhi said the decision will be taken when the situation arises, and added that the Congress will continue to press for its agenda on development and that would be the condition for any alliance. As the suspense continues on the Congress general secretary contesting the polls, asked if she would be the face for the party in UP, Priyanka Gandhi said, “do you see anyone else’s face from the Congress”. Priyanka Gandhi also stressed on development centric politics, and said voters need to question their representatives on their issues. “Casteism and communalism will not fill your bellies. It will only help some leader. They know they will get votes on communalism, why would they work,” she added.