Gujarat polls: Congress promises 10 lakh jobs, Rs 500 per LPG cylinder among other benefits in manifesto

The manifesto was released by Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, who is party's senior observer for Gujarat polls

Gujarat Congress Saturday released its manifesto for the forthcoming Assembly elections. Among the highlights of poll promises are free medical treatment up to Rs 10 lakh for every Gujarati, free electricity up to 300 units, farmers' loan waiver up to Rs 3 lakh, 10 lakh jobs, out of which 50 per cent will be reserved for women, Rs 3,000 unemployment allowance, among others.

Most of these promises were already announced by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi during his first public rally in Ahmedabad.

The party has also promised subsidies of Rs 5 to milk producers, Rs 500 for a gas cylinder, the opening of 3,000 government-run English medium schools and free education for girls.

The manifesto was released by Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, who is overseeing the poll campaign as a senior observer, in presence of several senior leaders. He demanded a judicial inquiry into the Morbi bridge collapse on October 30 in which 135 persons were killed.

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Revoking remission of Bilkis Bano convicts

Congress has also stated in the manifesto that if elected to power, the party will revoke the remission granted to 11 convicts in Bilkis Bano gang-rape and murder of seven persons of her family during the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

The 11 convicts were released from jail by the BJP government under its remission policy, which is under challenge in the Supreme Court. The Congress, which hasn't tasted power in three decades in the state, has been opposing remission.

The manifesto also states that after forming the government, Congress will stop the "misuse of sedition and Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act or PASA." It promises to take strict action against "spread of hate and terror".

Renaming Narendra Modi Stadium

Addressing the press conference, Manifesto Committee Chairman Dipak Babaria said if Congress came to power, in the very first cabinet meeting, the party will order to rename Narendra Modi Stadium to Sardar Patel Stadium. Although it is not written in the manifesto book, Babaria told reporters, "Today morning, some activists from Karamsad (native place of Sardar Vallabhbha Patel) came and gave us a memorandum to rename the stadium to its original name. We have promised that its name will be restored to Sardar Patel Stadium in the first cabinet meeting."

"Congress will win 125-plus seats"

Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor, who was also present at the release of the manifesto, claimed that the party will win 125-plus seats in the upcoming election. He said that the party has taken care of every section of society in the manifesto which is based on feedback from common people and Congress workers.