Congress president Rahul Gandhi has promised that his party, if voted to power in the Lok Sabha election, will ensure minimum basic income for the poor in the country.

After winning the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the Congress-led government will do what no other government has done. We will ensure guaranteed basic income for the poor in the country, Rahul Gadhi said while speaking at a rally in Chhattisgarh.

#WATCH Rahul Gandhi in Atal Nagar, Chhattisgarh: After winning in 2019 we'll take a step that no party has ever taken, we will ensure minimum universal basic income for the poor. No government in the world has ever taken such a decision. pic.twitter.com/V064QfsWrM

ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2019

Rahul Gandhi reiterated this promise in a tweet. "If voted to power in 2019, the Congress is committed to a Minimum Income Guarantee for every poor person, to help eradicate poverty and hunger. This is our vision and our promise," Rahul Gandhi said in his tweet.

Interestingly, in the first sentence of his tweet, Rahul Gandhi mirrored PM Narendra Modi and spoke about building a "new India".

We cannot build a new India while millions of our brothers & sisters suffer the scourge of poverty.

If voted to power in 2019, the Congress is committed to a Minimum Income Guarantee for every poor person, to help eradicate poverty & hunger.

This is our vision & our promise.

Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 28, 2019

"We cannot build a new India while millions of our brothers & sisters suffer the scourge of poverty," Rahul Gandhi said in his tweet.

Minimum income for the poor is a derivation of the concept of universal basic income, under which a citizen of a country gets a guranteed monthly stipend, regardless of her social, economic or educational standing.

There has been some debate in India over the subject of implementing universal basic income in the country. However, no formal discussion on the topic has taken place.