Cong claims major role in UP, releases manifesto

Lucknow, Mar 31: Exuding confidence that the party would have a major role in next government formation in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress today released its election manifesto for the coming assembly polls assuring the best possible welfare measures for minority, dalits, backwards as well as ten per cent reservation in government jobs to economically backward upper caste people.

Releasing the manifesto, UP Congress Committee President Salman Khurshid and in charge of UP party affairs Ashok Gehlot said the document aimed at giving a blueprint of speedy development of the state and rid the people of communal, caste and corrupt political parties.

Sparing nothing against SP, BSP and BJP, the Congress manifesto promised to provide a government which would follow the path of devlopment, communal and social harmony and restore the development process, which was stopped after the exit of Congress from the state 17 years ago.

Mr Khaurshid and Mr Gehlot were of the view that the Congress could well have its say in the next government in UP.''No government in the state could be formed or run without Congress,'' the senior Congress leaders said.

When asked since the party had already discarded SP, BSP and BJP, how the involvement of the Congress in the government formation was being claimed, Mr Khurshid said ''the situation may arise in which other parties lend support to the Congress.'' Both the leaders, accompanied by Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari and former UP chief minister Ram Naresh Yadav, asserted the election manifesto for the UP polls was just a reflection of UPA's election manifesto at the Centre.

To a poser about the statement of party MP Rahul Gandhi in which he had been reported to have said the party was preparing for 2012 elections, the UPCC chief said ''...even if we are preparing for a marathon race, the fifty metres race if also important for us.''

The Congress manifesto, which is rather mute on the Ayodhya issue, said Supreme Court's verdict on the matter would be respected by the party. Admitting the fast changing social and economic conditions had made economically weaker sections of upper caste suffer a lot, it promised to keep ten per cent jobs reserved for economically backward of upper castes. ''...If required, the resolution for necessary constitutional amendment would also be made,'' the manifesto said.

The Congress blamed the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party for denying the rights of Dalits and said their victimisation had increased during the regime. It said the SP conspired to make ineffective the reservation provisions and igonored the 20-point programme for their overall development.

''Congress is committed to remove all anamolies and to keep reservation law in 9th Schedule, ensure proper representation of Dalits in judiciary and private sector, higher technical and vocational training for this class and to equip Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Commission with more administrative, judicial and financial powers,''the manifesto assured.

While endorsing the UPA's action plan for minorities, the UP poll manifesto promised that they would get guarantee of health, housing and employment in the next budget of the state legislature if Congress came to power.

In another assurance which smacks of political undertones, the election manifesto made it clear that if the Congress came to power it would follow the recommendations of the Sacchar Committee and facilitate the reservation benefits to minorities the way its done in Kerala and Karnataka. ''The party would also implement Prime Minister's 15-point minority programme and all the constructive policies,''it said.

Reiterating the Congress always believed in all religions and did not consider minorities as 'voters' but treated them as an integral part of the society, it said the minority development programme prepared by the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the recent programme of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi would be made main basis of the minority welfare.

It also promised to maintain minority character of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) as well as to re-establish Urdu as the second official language in the state.

The party also assured to stop the criminalisation of politics, restore the rule of law while making a dig at the Amitabh Bachchan's television commercial saying ''the film stars are made to highlight the law and order situation as the best in the country which, in fact, is a farce.'' The Congress also promised the best deals for the farmers, unemployed youth, artisans, weavers, women, labourers, traders, government employees, doctors and teachers.

UNI