The Congress party is set to release its "Vachan Patra" (manifesto) for the upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. The document is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, with Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath and All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Randeep Surjewala presiding over the ceremony in Bhopal, news agency PTI reported a party spokesperson as confirming on Monday.
Among the notable promises to be made by the Congress party in its manifesto is the commitment to conduct a comprehensive caste census in Madhya Pradesh.
ALSO READ | 'Congress Will Come To Power At Centre If...': Kharge's Prediction In Poll-Bound Rajasthan
Party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have already announced a series of election pledges, aimed at appealing to a wide cross-section of voters. These include the implementation of the old pension scheme (OPS), the provision of free electricity up to 100 units, a monthly aid of Rs 1,500 for women, and the promise of a farm loan waiver. Furthermore, if the Congress secures victory in the state elections, they plan to offer LPG cylinders at the subsidised rate of Rs 500.
In addition to these commitments, during a recent rally held last week, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra declared a scholarship scheme for students. Under this program, students from classes 1 to 8 would receive Rs 500 per month, students in classes 9 and 10 would be entitled to Rs 1,000, and those in classes 11 and 12 would receive Rs 1,500 per month.
The upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh are slated to take place on November 17, where voters will decide the fate of 230 seats. The ballots will be counted on December 3.
As of now, the opposition party has declared 144 candidates out of the 230 seats. In the previous Madhya Pradesh assembly elections held in 2018, the Congress party secured 114 seats, emerging as the largest party and forming a government under Kamal Nath's leadership with the support of BSP, SP, and Independent MLAs. However, this coalition government faced a setback in March 2020 when several Congress MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia defected to the BJP, resulting in the government's collapse.