Karnataka assembly election 2023: Congress unveils manifesto, promises 200 units of free electricity
Congress releases manifesto for Karnataka assembly election 2023.
The Congress on Tuesday (May 2) released its manifesto for the upcoming Karnataka assembly election.The manifesto was released by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in the presence of former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar and party spokesperson Pawan Khera.The document has listed five guarantees for the voters if the party wins the election. The guarantees include providing 200 units of free electricity to all houses, free travel to women in KSRTC/BMTC buses and providing Rs 2,000 to each and every woman head of the family.
"Congress will sympathetically consider an extension of OPS to the pensionable government employees who joined service since 2006, to fill unapproved vacancies in all Government Departments within one year," the manifesto reads.
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"Congress party in its manifesto promises to provide 500 litres of tax-free diesel every year for deep sea fishing and to provide Rs 6,000 to all marine fishermen as a lean period allowance during the fishing holiday also to purchase cow dung at Rs.3 per kg and establish compost/manure centres in villages involving rural women/Youth," it adds.
The party has promised to ensure that works beginwithin 90 days of the issue of the work order, the work gets completed within the time specified in the contract and settle the bills of the contractors within the time frame of the agreement and also providea special allowance of Rs 5000 per month to police officials on night duty and one month's extra pay per year.
The Congress has promisedto increase the ceiling and reservation from 50% to 75% to accommodate the hopes and aspirations of SC/ST/OBC/Minority/ and other communities like Lingayat and Vokkliggas.
The party has also proposed that it would take decisive action as per law including banning organisations such as the Bajrang Dal, the Popular Front of India (PFI) and others. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) hit out at this promise of the Congress. Addressing a press conference, Assam Chief Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma accused the Congress of appeasing Muslims.
"PFI is already banned. Siddaramaiah govt withdrew cases of PFI. So they are saying that to appease Muslims they will ban Bajrang Dal. Congress is saying that PFI can't say that we will take revenge. Congress' manifesto looks like the manifesto of PFI and fundamentalist Muslim organisations," Sarma said, the news agency ANI reported.
The assembly election in Karnataka will be held on May 10. The counting of votes and declaration of results will be on May 13.The top contenders this time are the BJP, the Congress, and theJanata Dal (Secular).
On Monday, the BJP released its manifesto where one of the key highlights was the implementation ofthe Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Karnataka based on the recommendations given by a high-level committee which is to be constituted for the purpose.
(With inputs from agencies)
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