Aid for farmers and jobless may be Congress’s main poll promises in MP
The manifesto will be released by state Congress president Kamal Nath and party’s state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Tuesday
Bhopal The Congress is likely to promise a fixed monthly income to farmers, a guaranteed minimum support price for crops and a youth unemployment allowance of up to ₹8,000 in its poll manifesto, three leaders aware of the matter said on Monday.
The manifesto will be released by state Congress president Kamal Nath and party’s state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Tuesday, which leaders said would counter the announcements made by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan before the Election Commission on October 9 declared the date of polls for five state assemblies. Madhya Pradesh will vote on November 17.
“There will be a lot for farmers in the manifesto,” said Kedar Sirohi, a farmer leader and member of the Congress manifesto committee. Farmers would get an assured minimum income per acre of land, a first such promise to be made by a political party in any state. “We will also promise reduction in taxes on farm produce and supply of genuine seeds to farmers to increase agriculture production,” Sirohi said.
The manifesto will have a clear plan for implementing the promises and there will be a special focus on youth, women and farmers, another leader said, seeking anonymity. For youth, Congress will promise an unemployment allowance of up to ₹8,000 per month. He, however, did not specify how the party will identify unemployed youth.
In 2018, the Congress had promised youth unemployment allowance in its manifesto but could not implement it as Kamal Nath became chief minister only for 15 months, party functionaries said. After a rebellion by 22 Congress MLAs, who switched over to the Bharatiya Janata Party, Nath resigned and was replaced by Chouhan.
Before the last assembly polls, the Congress has also promised a farm loan waiver and Nath in 15 months had initiated the process to waive farm loans of up to ₹50,000 in the first phase.
On May 22, the Congress announced five guarantees for the state polls, including subsidised cooking gas cylinders for ₹500 each, ₹1,500 per month to every woman in the state, 100 units of free electricity, farm loan waiver and restoration of the old pension scheme.
After the party’s five guarantees, Chouhan replicated them through the Ladli Behna scheme, in which ₹1,000 was distributed to every woman in the state, subsidised cooking gas was given for ₹450 a cylinder to impoverished families and interest-free loans were provided to farmers, another Congress leader said.
There would be much more in the manifesto aimed at bringing “happiness” for all in Madhya Pradesh, Congress spokesperson Piyush Babele said, adding that it will provide a boost to the party’s campaign to defeat the BJP, which has been in power in the state for 18 of the past 20 years.
