Congress' Manifesto For Haryana Polls: 2 Lakh Jobs, Rs 2000 For Women, Rs 6000 Pension

In a key move ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge released the party's manifesto, unveiling a series of guarantees at the AICC headquarters in Delhi. The announcement was made in the presence of senior Congress leaders, including General Secretary KC Venugopal, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan.

The party's manifesto outlines a range of promises aimed at empowering women, senior citizens, and marginalized communities in Haryana. Udai Bhan detailed key initiatives, stating, "The Congress government in Haryana will provide Rs 2000 per month to every woman above 18 years to empower them. LPG gas cylinders will be available for Rs 500, and senior citizens will receive a pension of Rs 6,000 per month." He further emphasized that the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) will be restored, and two lakh vacant government jobs will be filled."

Other notable promises include making Haryana drug-free, offering free treatment up to Rs 25 lakh under a scheme similar to the Chiranjeevi scheme, and providing 300 free units of electricity to households. Also, poor families will receive plots of 100 yards, and the Congress will ensure a legal Minimum Support Price (MSP) guarantee for farmers.

At the press meet, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said, "We are announcing 7 guarantees that we will fulfil once we form government in Haryana... We have divided our 7 promises into 7 sections. Women will be given Rs 2000 every month. We will give Rs 500 every month for gas cylinders... Pensions for the elderly, pensions for specially-abled, and pensions for widows as per the Old pension scheme will be thoroughly implemented, and each category will get Rs 6000 each as pension money... We will give 2 lakh permanent jobs to youth..."

The Haryana Assembly elections are scheduled for October 5, with vote counting set to take place on October 8. The Congress party, encouraged by its success in securing half of Haryana's parliamentary constituencies in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is determined to unseat the incumbent BJP government.

However, Congress has decided to contest the elections solo after seat-sharing talks with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal ended inconclusively. The Congress will contest 89 out of the 90 seats in the Assembly, leaving one seat-Bhiwani-for its ally, the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Meanwhile, the BJP is expected to release its manifesto on Wednesday in Rohtak, as it prepares for a tough battle to retain power in the state.