Promises MSP guarantee, Rs 2,000 for women, free 300 unit electricity, Rs 6000 pension to elderly, disabled and widows, caste survey, raising creamy layer limit to Rs 10 lakh
The Congress party has released its election manifesto with seven-guarantees, including promises of a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price and a caste survey, along with construction of a memorial in the memory of farmers who died during the 2020-21 farmers agitation.
Attempting to reach out to all voters, the Congress manifesto named as “Saat Vaade-Pakke Irade” (Seven Promises, Firm Intentions) was launched in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and AICC senior observers for the Haryana polls Ashok Gehlot, Ajay Maken, and Partap Singh Bajwa.
Speaking on the occasion, Kharge outlined that the manifesto will focus on providing benefits to families, empowering women, supporting the youth, strengthening social security, and improving lives of backward classes, farmers, and the poor. “We are committed to building a grand memorial for the farmers who laid down their lives fighting against the anti-farmer laws. Alongside that, we pledge to provide jobs to the next of kin of these martyrs,” said Kharge.
Briefing about the guarantees, Congress Haryana chief Udai Bhan said that the Congress’ seven guarantees includes Rs 2000 per month to every woman above 18 years, LPG gas cylinders at Rs 500, free electricity up to 300 units on the lines of Chiranjeevi scheme, Rs 25 lakh free treatment benefit. It also promises voters Rs 6000 pension per month for widows, disabled person, and senior citizens, return of the Old Pension Scheme, two lakh government positions to be filled to tackle unemployment and to make Haryana drug-free for youth upliftment. The manifesto also promises to ensure legal MSP guarantee, immediate crop compensation, 100 yard plot and two-room houses at a cost of Rs 3.5 lakhs to poor families, and a caste survey to fair distribution of resources and jobs and raising the creamy layer limit to Rs 10 lakh from current Rs 8 lakh.
Reacting over the election manifesto, former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda says, “We have given a guarantee for the women, youth, farmers (in the Congress manifesto for Haryana Assembly elections) Congress will be coming (in the state) and BJP will go.”
On Congress manifesto, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini says, “The government which is there in the politics for the past 60 years, if they have to give guarantee for getting the vote, then do not trust those guarantee…Congress revdi batne ka kaam karti hai, but never fulfil those promises…”
Similarly, BJP National Secretary Om Prakash Dhankar Criticizes Congress’ “Saat-Waade, Pakke-Irade slogan, saying “people don’t trust Congress, which is why they’ve resorted to using the slogan ‘Seven Promises, Firm Intentions”. Dhankhar also took a jibe at Congress’ promise to provide 2 lakh jobs to the youth. “The same people who were part of the ‘Bharati Roko Gang’ are now talking about giving jobs to the youth. Jobs were given to the youth without any favoritism or bribes, but Congress created hurdles in those jobs.
That’s why the youth protested in front of Congress leaders’ homes.”
However, Congress’ senior leaders from Haryana Kumari Selja and Randeep Surjewala were not present on the occasion when the manifesto was released as former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee President Udai Bhanwere present along with the central leadership of the party. But both the leaders have shared a picture of the seven guarantees of the election manifesto on their X accounts.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJP has delayed the release of the election manifesto by a day as the party’s national president will now release the Haryana Sankalap Patra on Thursday. Voting for the 90-member assembly will take place on October 5 while the counting of votes will be done on October 8.