Samajwadi Party releases manifesto, challenges Congress

Tensions between the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) are escalating in the run-up to the Madhya Pradesh legislative elections. Shortly after the Congress released its list of candidates, SP promptly announced its own list of nine nominees. Now, in response to the Congress manifesto, SP has launched its own declaration.

The manifesto released by SP promises the people of Madhya Pradesh that the backward classes, Dalits, minorities (PDE), and tribes will be ensured their rights and respect. Caste census will be conducted, and everyone will be given representation based on population. Backward classes will be entitled to a 27% reservation. A socialist pension scheme will be initiated for women, and a 1090-response system will be established to prevent crimes against them.

Meritorious students will be provided with laptops. The old pension system will be restored for retired employees, and all will receive 300 units of free electricity. Farmers will be guaranteed a minimum support price for their crops, employment assurances will be given to the youth, and provisions will be made for quality primary education.

This manifesto clearly indicates that in the Madhya Pradesh elections, the paths of the Congress and SP have diverged. Previously, SP was pressuring Congress for seats in Madhya Pradesh, but Congress denied giving influential seats to SP. This could impact other state legislative elections occurring this year. The political skirmish won’t be limited to these state elections, as it could ripple into the national Lok Sabha elections.

Although both parties claim that the I.N.D.I.A. coalition is prepared for the Lok Sabha elections and not for the legislative ones, SP spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan asserts that Congress’s situation in the Madhya Pradesh legislative elections mirrors SP’s position in the Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha elections. With Congress not granting seats to SP in the legislative elections, Congress will have to prove which seats it can win in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha polls.