Bhopal: In a departure from the usual practice of a single manifesto for one election, the Congress in Madhya Pradesh has decided to come out with separate manifestoes for each of the 28 seats where by-elections are due.
The Congress manifesto for the 2018 assembly elections was a 112-page booklet, called ‘Vachan Patra’ (commitment document), which had on its back page the image of BJP leader and former Congressman Jyotiraditya Scindia along with Kamal Nath and Rahul Gandhi. Scindia’s rebellion brought down the Congress government in March this year.
This time, the bypoll manifestos will, however, be much smaller, spanning just around eight to 10 pages, Congress sources told ThePrint.
The seat-specific manifesto will include local issues and the party’s promises, besides the developmental works completed during its 15-month rule, a Congress source said.
All manifestoes will have common issues like the Congress promise to complete the crop loan waiver, the source added.
The loan waiver scheme has become a major talking point ahead of the 3 November by-elections. The ruling BJP alleges that the Congress government took farmers for a ride by promising to waive loans within 10 days but came up with riders and conditions to leave lakhs of farmers out of the scheme.
The other major promise that will find a place is cheap electricity, the party source said. After coming to power, the BJP government had discontinued the scheme launched by the Congress government and replaced it with a new one.
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Job promise to Covid victims’ families
A Congress functionary said that their manifesto will also include the promise of providing a contractual job to a family member in the event of the breadwinner’s death due to Covid-19.
The party will also include in its manifestoes the likely implementation of the Godhan Nyay Yojana, which has been implemented by the Congress government in neighbouring Chhattisgarh. Under the scheme, the Bhupesh Baghel government procures cow dung at Rs 2 per kg from livestock owners to prepare organic manures.
The functionary said MP Congress chief Kamal Nath will officially unveil the final document soon. The promises fulfilled by the Congress during its 15-month rule will find a prominent place in the manifestoes, he added.
Voters cheated once, they won’t fall for it again: BJP
The BJP, however, accused the Congress of coming to power by making false promises like loan waiver, unemployment allowances to youngsters and increasing assistance under Kanya Vivah Yojana from Rs 25,000 to Rs 51,000.
“The voters in the state have been cheated once, but they will not fall for it again,” said BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal.
Referring to the Congress’ decision to come out with separate manifestoes, he said: “The people will not be tricked by a lie, whether told in parts or in one go.”
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