United Progressive Alliance chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi [Images] on Friday exuded confidence about the ruling coalition at the Centre and the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh retaining power in the next year's Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections.

Speaking at a farmers' rally at Jaggampeta town after inaugurating an irrigation project in coastal Andhra district of east Godavari, Sonia reminded that "we have over one year left for the AP Assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections. We are fulfilling the promises that we have made in the Congress party's manifesto and the Common Minimum Programme of the UPA at the Centre."

"We will continue to work for the welfare of each and every section of our society. This we will continue to do with dedication. That is the distinctive characteristic of the Congress party. It is only the Congress party that can work for the dignity, security and prosperity of each and every individual and every person of the country, especially the poorest of the poor and for our women and our children," she pointed out.

"Let us together try to ensure through our hard work that we bring a change in the life of every person in Andhra Pradesh and by doing so, we are bound to retain the support and goodwill of the people of AP and the country," she exhorted the massive gathering.

Praising AP chief minister's Jalayagnam initiative to take up and complete irrigation projects across the state, she said "This is a huge and massive programme which will provide irrigation to all the districts. During the Telugu Desam Party regime, no irrigation project had been taken up -- not even one. It is only under Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's Congress government that so many irrigation projects have been taken up."

"Under the leadership of Dr Rajasekhar Reddy, AP has recorded several achievements that are talked about by people in the whole country and about which we are very proud. Today, AP is leading the country in the implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme. It has emerged as a model for other states. In just two years, 70 lakh labourers have been able to open post office savings accounts for themselves," she added.

"AP is also number one in the country in women self-help groups. Over 7 lakh self-help groups, which have about 90 lakh women members, will very soon get life insurance coverage. This year, Rs 7,000 crore will be given by banks to eight lakh SHGs in AP. We have also raised the stipend for our Anganwadi sisters to Rs 1,500 per month from Rs 750. About 1.5 lakh women workers and helpers in AP will benefit from this announcement," she said.

She also launched the Indira Jeevitha Bhima Yojana announced by the UPA government. This would provide life insurance cover to 38 lakh landless agricultural labourers in Andhra Pradesh. This would provide security to the poor families, that is, families belonging to weaker sections of our society and to workers in the unorganised sector. 

She also complimented the chief minister for the decision of supplying rice for Rs 2 per kg to 82 per cent of the state's population belonging to below-poverty-line families from the Telugu New Year day (April 7).

"All these programmes and all these projects are for the benefit of every section of our society, whether in the rest of the country or in Andhra Pradesh because the Congress believes that every single person in the country must benefit from economic growth and most equally benefit by the development which is happening around us. In our Budget, several schemes have been announced for our sisters," the UPA chairperson explained.