By announcing minimum income scheme, Congress National President Rahul Gandhi has created ripples in political circles across the country. He has promised to implement the scheme to ensure minimum income to all the poor families if the Congress is elected to power in the coming general election. This is for the first time that any political party has dared to come before the people with such an ambitious and challenging scheme involving expenditure of thousands of crores.

There is no definite shape on how the scheme will be implemented or what would be amount of minimum income being targeted by the Congress party. But the party leaders are excited about this programme which has raised expectations among the poorer sections. It is expected to increase chances of the Congress which has become the favourite for all the opposition parties in wake of rising dissatisfaction against the Modi-Shah duo.

Analysts says Rahul Gandhi’s scheme has already captured the imagination of the average voters. If the party can elaborate a little further on its full details, this would become a game changer in the coming election. Followers of the Gandhi family say the minimum income scheme will become as popular as the pro-poor slogan ‘Garibi Hatao’ and programmes of Indira Gandhi whose popularity is still large among the poor people.

G.Ravikiran