Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge jointly releases the manifesto with Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and RJD's JP Yadav.
Credit: X/@HemantSorenJMM
New Delhi: The I.N.D.I.A. bloc on Tuesday unveiled seven guarantees for the Jharkhand Assembly elections, promising 10 lakh jobs for youth, health insurance coverage of up to Rs 15 lakh for the poor and gas cylinder at Rs 450, as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a debate on poll promises.
The 12 promises under seven guarantees of the JMM-led I.N.D.I.A bloc in Jharkhand also included Rs 15 lakh health cover for poor, increase free monthly ration for poor to 7 kg from 5 kg, and increasing reservation to 28% for Scheduled Tribes, 12% for Scheduled Castes and 27% for OBCs in the state.
The bloc has also promised the implementation of locality policy and Sarna Dharma Code, honorarium of Rs 2,500 per month to women, degree colleges in all blocks, engineering, medical colleges and universities in all district headquarters, minimum support price for paddy at Rs 3,200 and increasing MSP of other agricultural products by 50%.
"Whenever we talk about any guarantees, Prime Minister Narendra Modi immediately criticises it. Modi came here yesterday and he mentioned me in his speech and said that there is no trust in the guarantees of Congress. But the public knows that Congress fulfils whatever guarantee it gives. There is no trust left in Modi's guarantee. He has never been able to fulfil his promise," he said.
Asked whether he was ready for a debate on guarantees with Modi, the Congress president said, "yes, let him come to Bengaluru...In Parliament, he has not replied to my queries. I am ready to answer his queries. He should also answer my queries."
At the launch of the guarantees, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said they have made every possible effort to reach out to those where voices, people and achievements do not reach in the past five years.
"In elections, it is important to tell voters why they should vote in favour of a particular party. We have presented seven guarantees regarding what we will carry forward in the government that comes after the elections. After this election, the coming government will move forward with the guarantees," he said.
RJD Jharkhand in-charge Jaiprakash Yadav said Soren government has done commendable work in developing Jharkhand and giving respect to everyone.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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