Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday promised to waive farm loans if the Opposition coalition comes to power in Jharkhand and vowed to change the state, which has a significant tribal population, just like neighbouring Chhattisgarh where his party stormed to power last year.

Addressing a poll rally here, Rahul said that within a year of coming to power, the Congress government had changed the scenario in Chhattisgarh.

“You (the tribals) have land, forests and water, we are there to protect them,” he said.

Rahul said the BJP government in Chhattisgarh “snatched” lands of tribals and gave it to industrialists, but the Congress government had returned their lands.

“Wherever we promised to waive farm loans, we did so after coming to power. In Jharkhand as well, we will do the same if our coalition is voted to power,” Rahul added.

The Congress is contesting 31 seats in the Assembly elections. The next date of polling in the five-phase elections is December 7.

The Congress is allied with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the Rashtriya Janata Dal for the elections. The BJP, on the other hand, is with the Ajsu Party and the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha.