Congress releases manifesto for MP assembly elections

The Madhya Pradesh Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections on Saturday, promising to build gaushalas in every gram panchayat and reduce electricity bills for farmers among other things.

The manifesto, titled 'Vachan Patra', is divided into 50 sub categories and includes 973 points.

"We will reduce the electricity bill of farmers by 50 per cent, reduce diesel and petrol prices and open 'gaushalas' in every gram panchayat among other things mentioned in our election manifesto," MP Congress chief Kamal Nath as saying after the manifesto release.

The Congress has promised to waive off farm loans at nationalised as well as state government cooperative banks and reduce electricity bills of farmers by 50 per cent.

The party has further promised Rs 10,000 as unemployment allowance for one young member per family for a period of three years and Rs 51,000 at the time of a girl's marriage. Besides this, a provision for an amount of Rs 2.50 lakh for the construction of houses of landless people on a plot of 450 sq feet has also been mentioned in the manifesto. Reduction in fuel prices and cooking gas has been



promised.

The manifesto has been prepared by a committee under the chairmanship of MP Deputy Speaker Rajendra Singh.

Kamal Nath, campaign committee chairman Jyotiraditya Scindia, former CM Digvijay Singh, former Union minister Suresh Pachauri, leader of opposition Ajay Singh and former PCC president Arun Yadav all came together to launch the manifesto and address the media.

"This is the first time that a party has released a 'vachan patra' and not a manifesto in the state," said PCC President Kamal Nath. He added there was something for every fragment in the society that has been "cheated" by the current BJP government.

"This is a vachan patra and not a ghoshna patra, because we all have been hearing ghoshnas for the last 15 years," said Jyotiraditya Scindia, taking a dig at CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan who has been accused by the Congress of making more than 21,000 announcements while in office.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi has even called the CM a 'ghoshna machine'.

When asked if the Congress had budgeted on how it will fulfill so many financially burdening promises, Nath said, "We have thought about that."