The Opposition Congress on Tuesday scaled up its campaign to wrest back Assam from the ruling BJP with senior party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra announcing “five guarantees” to the people of the poll-bound state, including a law to nullify the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, if voted to power.

Besides the law that curbs the operation of the CAA, the other four guarantees included generation of five lakh government jobs; raising tea workers’ daily wage to Rs 365; free electricity up to 200 units per household; and Rs 2,000 monthly income support to all housewives.

Launching what the party said was its “five-guarantee” campaign to reach out to the voters of all sections, especially the youth, housewives and tea garden workers, Priyanka revealed the guarantees at a well-attended rally at Tezpur in central Assam.

The highlight of the rally was the presence of Bodoland People’s Front chief Hagrama Mohilary, who joined the Congress-led alliance on Sunday. He not only went after the BJP-led alliance but asserted to win at least 12 BJP seats on his own outside the Bodoland Territorial Region, which has 12 seats.

Not mere promises

The Congress has been for sometime made the unfulfilled promises of the BJP since 2014 a key poll plank. The guarantees by Priyanka have to be seen in this context, something that she herself has been harping since her arrival on Monday on a two-day trip that has been high on messaging to reach out to all sections of voters.

PCC media department chairperson Bobbeeta Sharma told The Telegraph that these guarantees are “not” mere promises, stressing on the word “promises” to drive home the point that unlike the ruling BJP they are making firm commitments to the people of Assam.

Asserting that guarantees are different from promises, Priyanka, dressed in a maroon mekhala chador, said these were commitments based on people’s feedback to senior Congress leaders during their Axom Basaon Ahok (Come, Lets save Assam) campaign launched on February 12.

“I know you have been made such promises before but this is our guarantee. A core team that studied the economy of the state, based on statistics, has worked out the guarantees. They have made a complete scheme under which these guarantees are being offered. When we say you will get Rs 365 a day, this does not mean that tea companies will suffer losses. This means whatever the companies pay you, the government will support to take the amount to Rs 365,” the AICC general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh said, an assurance which should be music to the tea industry which fears the recent hike of Rs 50 a day may have a crippling effect on the sector.

If the Congress leader was circumspect in her criticism of the BJP-led regime in her meetings on Monday, she went all out against the ruling dispensation.

She reminded the gathering how BJP leaders had promised to protect the jati mati bheti (identity, land and hearth) of Assam, not to impose CAA, implement Clause 6 for constitutional and administrative safeguards of the indigenous people but they have done the exact opposite in the past five years.

She said the Prime Minister has never visited Assam during the flood and lockdown when it was in trouble but made several trips before polls were declared.

“What can you expect when the PM did not talk to protesting farmers in Delhi 4-5 km from his residence! Why will he then come to Assam and talk to you?

“Few days ago he said Assam tea is under attack following on a tweet by a 21-year-old but for past five years the BJP-RSS leaders have repeatedly attacked Assam’s identity but the Prime Minister has remained silent! They have gone around the country talking about CAA but they don’t have the courage to talk about it in Assam,” she said, adding that only a few industrialists have benefited under the present ruling dispensation.

Priyanka, who released the party’s campaign song after her 20-minute speech, that she has been going around and meeting people since Monday to understand the prevailing situation.

“I urge everyone here to know your rights. Elections come and go but the fight for your rights and identity should always continue. Your biggest right is your vote. Think and vote. This election, you are fighting for Assam, your future. This is not a fight of the Congress and the BJP. This election is about Assam so that you can secure your and your children’s future. Don’t forget this. When polls are held, vote for Mahajot, which will work for your welfare and future,” she said.

High on messaging

The announcement brought to the end her packed two-day trip that was high on messaging. Before reaching Tezpur, she visited Sadhuru Tea Estate in Biswanath for an hour where she interacted with women workers, plucked tea leaves, had tea and bread and heard their dukh ki baat.

The visit was aimed at reaching out to the tea community, which is influential in about 42 of the 126 Assembly seats. She said she felt happy being with them but it also made her sad over their daily struggle, coping with spiralling prices to make ends meet with their low daily wage of Rs 167. She urged them to think and vote in the upcoming elections.

Priyanka reached Guwahati on Monday morning and after offering prayers at Kamakhya temple to seek the blessings of Ma Kamakhya, she flew straight to Lakhimpur.

Her packed schedule also saw her visit the birthplace of Madhabdeb, the chief disciple of Srimanta Sankardeva, at Letekupukhuri in Lakhimpur district, and pay tributes to Kanaklata, a teenage Quit India Movement martyr from Gohpur. In between, she also danced jhumur with young girls welcoming her at the Lakhimpur meeting and met party leaders.

Priyanka’s visit is the second high-profile visit after Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Sivasagar on February 14.