New Delhi: Congress is expected to release its poll manifesto today for the May 10 Karnataka elections, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar said. The party is expected to make promises for the development of various sections of the society.
"The Congress is coming to power. We are going to implement our five guarantees. Tomorrow we are releasing our manifesto," Congress leader DK Shivakumar said on Monday.
Earlier, former chief minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah had promised 10 kilograms of free rice to the poor and 200 units of free electricity, every month, if Congress wins the upcoming state polls.
During its statewide election bus tour titled 'Praja Dhwani Yatre' in January, Siddaramaiah stated, "If our government comes, we will give 10 kg of free rice to poor people. Last time we were giving 7 kg."
Siddaramaiah also said that 200 units of free power every month is not only limited to Dalits, backward, and minorities, it is for everyone, every household.
On Monday, BJP national president JP Nadda released the party's manifesto or vision document for the Karnataka Assembly elections in Bengaluru.
Among the poll promises include the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code in Karnataka, provide three free cooking gas cylinders to all the families below poverty line (BPL), one each during the months of Yugadi, Ganesh Chaturthi and Deepavali and half-litre Nandini milk every day and five kilograms of Shri Anna - siri dhanya through monthly ration kits.
The 224-member Karnataka Assembly will undergo polls on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13. A total of 3,632 candidates are in the fray with 707 from incumbent BJP and 651 from Congress while 1,720 candidates will contest as Independent.
According to the ABP-CVoter Opinion Poll, Congress seems ahead in the race to form the next government in Karnataka with a projected seat range between 107 to 119 while BJP is expected to get seats somewhere between 74 and 86 and JDS between 23 and 35 seats.
At around 40 per cent, Congress is expected to bag the most vote percentage with BJP following at 40 per cent and JD(S) at 17 per cent, and others at 8 per cent.
While the Congress is yet to announce its CM candidate, according to ABP-Cvoter Karnataka Opinion Poll, Siddaramaiah is leading as the most preferred CM candidate with 41 per cent of respondents voting in his favour followed by Basavaraj Bommai with 31 per cent. JDS’s HD Kumaraswamy is at number three at 22 per cent, followed by Congress leader DK Shivakumar at 3 per cent and others also at 3 per cent.