In Naoboicha, Assam, Mallikarjun Kharge announced the Congress party's "five guarantees" for the upcoming elections, focusing on women's welfare, universal healthcare, land rights, and justice in the Zubeen Garg case.
He also criticized the BJP-led government, accusing it of rampant corruption and prioritizing the financial well-being of its leaders in Delhi and their families.
Kharge presented the party's "five guarantees," including an unconditional monthly cash transfer to every woman's bank account, along with an additional Rs 50,000 for women starting or expanding businesses.
"Our transfers will be unconditional. They will not require women to join the BJP," he stated.
The Congress pledged Rs 25 lakh in cashless health insurance for all families, permanent land deeds for 10 lakh indigenous people, and Rs 1,250 per month for senior citizens.
A dedicated department will also be established to oversee matters concerning the elderly.
Kharge also promised to ensure justice in the Zubeen Garg case within 100 days of Congress taking power.
He described the "five guarantees" as the party's "blueprint for a complete transformation of Assam".
He added that the party's pledges address the needs of every section of society, including youth, farmers, small entrepreneurs, tea garden workers, and women.
Kharge asserted that his party would fulfill all promises made to the people of Assam, and that Congress governments in Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh have implemented all of its election promises.
Alleging rampant corruption by the BJP-led Assam government, Kharge claimed that even the family members of the ruling party's leaders are involved in graft.
He accused the government of hoarding land, stating that "Just one family in Assam has 12,000 bighas of land. Land has been given to Adani and Ramdev. Government land is being looted."
Kharge also criticized the BJP's use of its "double engine" to loot and fill the coffers of its leaders in Delhi.
He also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "seeking support for such a corrupt government".
Kharge praised Rahul Gandhi for visiting Manipur during the ethnic strife, while criticizing Prime Minister Modi's delayed visit.
He also criticized Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, calling him a "nakli" (fake) CM.
Referring to Sarma's Congress roots, Kharge said, "He was born and raised with us, but he betrayed us. No one should vote for such a person."
Contrasting Sarma with Gaurav Gogoi, the state Congress president and opposition alliance's chief ministerial candidate, Kharge said, "Here is a youth leader with whom I have worked and who has a clean image."
Kharge also referred to an old X post of the chief minister, in which he had mentioned the caste system among Hindus, and said, “Sarma had said that Dalits are born to serve. He later deleted the post, but it shows his mindset. The BJP has made such a person a chief minister."
He accused Sarma's government of intimidating people and creating a fear psychosis among them. "Sarma threatens people by putting them in jail who oppose him. Uses bulldozers," Kharge claimed.
"The BJP and its allies are engaging in divisive politics to create rifts in society. The chief minister of this state is infamous nationwide for his hate speech," Kharge claimed.
In contrast, the Congress ideology is based on the teachings of Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardeva, who showed the path of equality and humanism, the party president said. "The ideology of the RSS and the BJP is steeped in discrimination."