Congress manifesto full of tall promises, says Chouhan

Bhopal, Nov 16:

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today dismissed Congress manifesto for the November 25 Assembly election as a "dying declaration".

It will also provide free single-point power connection to the BPL population

The main Opposition party in the state had made all sorts of promises in its manifesto as it knows it would never be asked to implement them, he told reporters here. The Congress manifesto is like a "dying declaration" as the party is sure to get a sound drubbing in the hustings, the BJP stalwart said.

"Congress is sure of its defeat in the Assembly election. There was no way in which it could win it." Asked why BJP was not promising free food grains as has been done by Congress, Chouhan said it was their view that people never wanted anything free of cost.

In its manifesto released on November 12, Congress, which is out of power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003, announced a slew of populist measures, including sops to farmers, students, unemployed youths, minorities and the common man. For the poor, Congress promised to provide 35 kg ration per family per month free of cost.

It will also provide free single-point power connection to the BPL population. The party also promised to waive farm loan up to Rs 51,000 taken from Cooperative and Land Development Banks.

To woo the middle class, Congress said if voted to power, it will provide three more subsidised cylinders in MP (besides the existing nine) and promised to reduce VAT on petrol, diesel and LPG to bring down fuel prices.

PTI