In the lead-up to the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, the Congress party unveiled its manifesto in Bhopal on Tuesday. The event was attended by key leaders, including Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath and former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh. The unveiling of the manifesto is a significant step as the state gears up for the upcoming polls.
String of "guarantees"
Senior party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have announced a string of "guarantees". These include the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), free electricity up to 100 units, Rs 1,500 month aid for women and a farm loan waiver, and providing an LPG cylinder at Rs 500, if Congress wins the elections in the state.
Scholarship announced by Priyanka Gandhi
The grand old party has so far announced a list of 144 candidates out of 230 seats. During a rally earlier last week, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had announced scholarships for students. Under this, Rs 500 will be given to students from classes 1 to 8 per month, Rs 1,000 to students of classes 9 and 10, and Rs 1,500 per month to students of classes 11 and 12.
Earlier on Monday, Kamal Nath said nearly 4,000 people have applied for poll tickets but all of them cannot get it. He also expressed hope that the "disappointed" leaders would work in favour of the party. Speaking to reporters in Bhopal, he said the party's aim during ticket distribution was to do social justice and this process should fit into the caste equation. He also claimed the upcoming election is between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the people of the state.
Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections
The election to the 230-member assembly in Madhya Pradesh is scheduled to be held on November 17, while counting of votes will take place on December 3.
In the 2018 assembly polls, Congress emerged as the single largest party by winning 114 seats while restricting the BJP on 109. The party under Kamal Nath formed a government with the support of BSP, SP, and Independent MLAs.
However, the Congress government fell after many MLAs under the leadership of Jyotiraditya Scindia, who later became a Union minister, joined the BJP. The BJP returned to power in March 2020 with Shivraj Singh Chouhan as chief minister for a fresh term. The BJP's current strength in the assembly is 127.
(With PTI inputs)
