Rashtriya Lok Dal issues UP Election manifesto

The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) issued its 28-page election manifesto on Monday.

The party has focused on farmers and youths in its manifesto aiming to get foothold in west UP while broadening it base in eastern parts of the state.The RLD has promised 33 per cent reservation to women in government jobs and promiseds them security eyeing their electiral importance in the UP Assembly poll.

Trying to strike a chord with its traditional vote bank of Jats in west UP, the party has tried to encash the legacy of late former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh. Projecting Jayant Chadhary as the CM face for RLD in the imminent elections, the party has divided the manifesto in seven points with agricultural issues on the top followed by good governance, public related schemes, policy to cater to the need of youths, infrastructure, industries and trade policy.

Stressing that the country will progress when the condition of farmers improve, the party reiterated its policy to ensure 8 per cent agricultural growth, waiving of farmers’ loan, separate agricultural budget, minimum wages to small farmers to provide social protection, speedy delivery



of insurance benefits to farmers in case of drought/flood which causes crop loss.

It also addresses the problems faced by cane farmers, special packages for construction of new canals, revival of defunct canals, change in Agriculture Produce Market Committee, set up of agro-clinics, Rs 10 lakh as farmer accident insurance, setting up of smarty mandis, modern veterinary hospitals and on other counts.

Like other parties, the RLD has iterated to bring a bill on preventing communal violence. It has stated its demand to set up of new benches of high courts in Eastern UP, Bundelkhand and West UP.

Stressing on the need for empowering the Lokpal Bill, the RLD has promised for reforms and advocated the need of small administrative units for better governance.

To broaden it bases, the party has promised classification of OBC and to ensure reservation to most backward community. It also has promised to spend 7 per cent of the budget on health services.