The Congress party on Tuesday released its manifesto, "Vachan Patra" ahead of Madhya Pradesh polls in Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath and former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh along with other leaders were present during the unveiling of the manifesto. The 230-member Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly will go to polls in a single phase on November 17 and the votes will be counted on December 3 along with Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram.
The party document which contains list of promises includes conducting a caste census in the state.
A string of "guarantees" was announced by party leaders Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi which includes 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, providing an LPG cylinder at Rs 500, if elected to power in the central state.
In a poll rally last week, Priyanka Gandhi announced scholarships for students, under which Rs 500 will be given for 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.
The opposition party has so far announced the names of 144 candidates for the polls to 230 seats of the Legislative Assembly.
Congress emerged as single largest party in 2018 Assembly polls by winning 114 seats while the Bharatiya Janata Party was limited to 109 and formed the government in Madhya Pradesh under the leadership of Kamal Nath with the support of Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party, and Independent MLAs.
However, after several Congress MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the party and joined rival BJP, the dispensation collapsed in March 2020.