The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) has released its manifesto hours before as many as 89 seats spread across 13 states and Union Territories (UTs) go to polls in Phase 2 of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Review and changes in the contentious legislations such as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Register for Citizens (NRC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and others have been included in the NCP-SP manifesto.
The party also promises a ban on contract labour in Maharashtra, 50 per cent reservation in jobs for women and ₹500 per cylinder if the INDIA bloc is elected at the Centre in the Lok Sabha elections 2024. The party also favours caste census, a demand long been made by Congress, and separate commission for farmers’ welfare in the manifesto.
Apart from that, the Sharad Pawar-led party said it supports full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, scrapping of the Agnipath Scheme and rejects the idea of ‘one nation, one election’ – a policy promoted in the BJP manifesto.
The manifesto, titled “Shapatnama”, advocates empowering state and local governments, reviewing power distribution and enforcing constitutional amendments. The Sharad Pawar-led party’s manifesto also highlights welfare measures for the LGBTQ community.
“We will demand a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations. We will ban contract labour in government sectors and legally protect the contract workers’ benefits,” Maharashtra NCP(SP) president Jayant Patil said.
The manifesto was unveiled in the presence of NCP (SP) chief and former Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar.
Jayant Patil said if the party gets a chance to be in power at the Centre, it would give the Goods and Services Tax (GST) a “human face”. “LPG cylinder prices will be kept at ₹500 and if necessary, will be subsidised by the government. Petrol, diesel tax will be restructured,” he said.
To a query on Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking to know what Pawar has contributed to the agriculture sector, the NCP (SP) chief said, “I don’t wish to react to the remarks of those who have negligible knowledge of the sector. He should first speak on what his government has done in the last ten years.”
(With agency inputs)
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Published: 25 Apr 2024, 01:25 PM IST