Cong to release manifesto for MP polls, special focus on youth & farmers

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Tuesday will release its manifesto, named 'Vachan Patra' for the November 17 Assembly election.

The ‘Vachan Pratra’ has promises for every section and voters -- youth, women and senior citizens. The party is likely to include special packages for the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste voters.

The document will be unveiled by MP Congress President Kamal Nath and AICC General Secretary Randeep Surjewala at Bhopal’s Ravindra Bhavan, a party spokesman said.

The party has already announced 12 promises, which includes -- Rs 1,500 per month for women under ‘Nari Samman Yojana’, implementation of the old pension scheme (OPS), free electricity up to 100 units, farm loan waiver.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in her last public rally in Dhar made two major announcements -- free education for school children (in government schools) and cash incentives -- Rs 500 for students up to Class 8 and Rs 1,500 for students of Class 11 and 12.

Sources told IANS that the Congress is likely to promise a fixed monthly income to farmers, a guaranteed minimum support price for crops and a youth unemployment allowance of up to Rs 8,000 in its poll manifesto.

In 2018, the Congress had promised youth unemployment allowance in its manifesto but could not implement it as Kamal Nath remained the chief minister only for 15 months, party functionaries said. After a rebellion by 22 Congress MLAs, who switched over to the Bharatiya Janata Party, Nath resigned and was replaced by Chouhan.