India's opposition Congress promises 72,000 rupees to poor if voted back

FILE PHOTO: Rahul Gandhi, President of India's main opposition Congress party, addresses his party's supporters during a public meeting in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, March 12, 2019. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's main opposition Congress party will give 72,000 rupees ($1,045/£792) a year to the country's poorest families if it is voted back to power, its president said on Monday.

Describing it as a "final assault on poverty", Congress President Rahul Gandhi told reporters in New Delhi that the scheme would benefit 250 million people.