New Delhi:

Ahead of the upcoming Haryana assembly election, the Congress is reaching out to the masses and highlighting the rising cost of living under the current government, in its campaign ‘Kharche Pe Charcha’.

The ‘Kharche Pe Charcha’ campaign – seemingly a swipe at the names of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ and ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha initiatives – aims to reach out to the people at the grassroots level, particularly women, and draw comparisons between the prices of essential commodities during the Congress and BJP tenures in the state.

The Congress has been criticising the government over the rising cost of living.

The Congress women’s wing is at the forefront of the initiative. Posters, comparing the prices of various items during the Congress and current regimes, have been put up at markets across several districts of Haryana.

By focusing on inflation and the rising cost of living, the party aims to position itself as a viable alternative to the BJP’s 10-year government in Haryana.

The Election Commission today deferred the Haryana assembly poll date to October 5 from October 1, over a centuries-old festival of the Bishnoi community.

The counting of votes for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana assembly polls will now be held on October 8 instead of October 4, the poll body said.

The decision has been taken to honour both the voting rights and traditions of the Bishnoi community, which has upheld a 300-400-year-old practice in remembrance of their Guru Jambheshwar, the Election Commission said.