Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday appealed to the people of Madhya Pradesh to vote on the basis of their lived experience instead of getting misled by propaganda and emotive issues, arguing that only an aware voter can save the country from unscrupulous politicians.

Launching the Congress campaign in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Priyanka said: “You can’t buy LPG cylinders and vegetables but you are told that India is passing through a golden phase. Unemployment is at its peak, people are facing atrocities and social discord has risen alarmingly but hoardings and posters say something else. They confuse you with lofty talks of double and triple-engine governments. But you know what you have been through.”

She added: “This has almost become a ritual. Leaders come at election time and make all kinds of promises. They themselves aren’t sincere about the promises, which never get fulfilled. I was shocked to learn the Shivraj Singh government has given only 21 government jobs in the last three years after they stole our government using money power. Twenty-one jobs in three years! What is the government for? Scams? In the last 220 months, there have been 225 scams. In the last 18 years, the chief minister has made 21,000 promises/announcements. He could have instead given 21,000 jobs.”

She explained that the BJP government spared no sector as scams had been reported in recruitment, mining, ration, scholarship, e-tendering and TV set distribution. “The list is bigger than the list of 91 abuses that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made. They haven’t spared even the Narmada river and the Mahakaal corridor. Statues installed there were blown away by the storm. When will you wake up? When will you enforce accountability? I am not asking for your votes. I am asking for your awareness,” Priyanka said.

Arguing that corruption affects the lives of common people, Priyanka said the corrupt politicians gained confidence from the people’s reluctance to seek accountability as they know that the attention can be diverted by creating religious frenzy and hype over irrelevant emotive issues.

Admitting that religion was an important issue, she said personal faith cannot be used to create divisions in society. Repeatedly entreating the people to stick to their core concerns, she reminded them of the fulfilment of promises made by the Congress in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and took a public vow to deliver on all the guarantees being given by the party in Madhya Pradesh.

“Every month, Rs 1,500 will be given to every woman, gas cylinders will cost Rs 500 apiece, 100 units of electricity will be free, the bill for 200 units will be halved and the old pension scheme will be restored,” Priyanka added.

Priyanka started her campaign by offering a prayer at the Narmada, a revered river.

The Congress believes that the BJP can override the strong anti-incumbency caused by a poor governance record only by polarising the voters on religious lines. The party has therefore decided to use religious symbols without indulging in divisive rhetoric, sending out a message to the voters that a good Hindu is not necessarily anti-Muslim and anti-secular.