Jaipur: The Congress yesterday released a populist manifesto for the Rajasthan assembly polls to be held on Dec ember 1.
Releasing the manifesto in the presence of state incharge and All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Gurudas Kamat, senior Congress leader and election campaign committee chairman C P Joshi, state party president Chandrabhan and other functionaries, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said five lakh youth will be provided jobs.
“We provided jobs to over a lakh people in the past five years and process for recruitment of another one lakh is in the final stage,” Gehlot said adding the government plans to provide jobs to five lakh more people in the coming five years.
“If Congress comes to power, we would provide electricity at cheaper and subsidised rates for agricultural purposes. We will also launch a special grant scheme for farmers so they can buy modern agricultural equipment,” he said.
The party, in the manifesto, says it will come out with a policy for dairy sector development.
Congress will promote setting up of private hospitals and provide benefits for the development of speciality hospitals in the state. Trauma centres would be developed on national and state highways and more operation theatres would be opened in government hospitals. While promising a sensitive and transparent government, the party, in the manifesto, has committed five per cent reservation under law to Gujjar, Raika, Banjara and Gadia Lohar communities.
The manifesto also offers sops to minorities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, among others.
Gehlot said the party has fulfilled promises made in its past manifesto and will do so if it came to power.IANS
A total of 2,096 candidates will fight it out in Rajasthan in the December 1 assembly election for 199 of the 200 seats, an official said yesterday. Polling has been cancelled in one constituency following the death of a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate.
The main contest is between the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which have fielded candidates in all constituencies.
The newly-formed National People’s Party (NPP) has fielded 150 candidates, while the BSP is contesting in just over 100 constituencies.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is confident of the Congress retaining power.
“I am confident that the Congress, with the kind of work the government has done in the last five years, will return to power with a big majority,” Gehlot said. Vasundhara Raje, former chief minister and state president of the BJP, is equally confident of victory.
However, the newly formed NPP, headed by Kirorilal Meena, hopes to be the kingmaker.
The NPP has fielded some rebels from both the BJP and Congress.
As many as 32 candidates are in the fray in Adarsh Nagar constituency in Jaipur while only three people are contesting in Sujangarh in Churu district, the lowest number anywhere.
