Chhattisgarh polls: Congress manifesto focuses on caste census, farm loan waiver; BJP says it gave false assurances

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], November 5 : With Chhattisgarh set to hold its first phase of Assembly polls on November 7, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched the Congress manifesto for the elections on Sunday, promising a caste-based census, farm loan waivers, and subsided LPG cylinders to women, among other things, if voted back to power.
"We pledge to conduct a caste census in the state if voted back. The census exercise would cover the Scheduled Caste, tribal castes, backward classes, general categories, and minorities," Baghel announced after unveiling the party's manifesto in Raipur on Sunday.
He said a caste-based census would enable people from the backward and underprivileged sections to derive the benefits of welfare schemes and initiatives.
"A census of this kind will not only bring the backward classes to the forefront of the government's welfare priorities but also help us conceive and implement schemes for them. A caste census is the need of the hour," CM Baghel said.
In the manifesto, the Congress has also promised to buy paddy at the rate of Rs 3,200 per quintal under the 'Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana', if elected again.
"We have also promised to waive off farmers' loans and purchase paddy at Rs 3200/quintal as part of the input subsidy under the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana," the CM said, adding that the party will also provide electricity up to 200 units free of charge.
"Women of all sections would get a subsidy of Rs 500 transferred directly to their bank accounts once they refill their cooking gas cylinders," he added.
However, the BJP said that the manifesto released by the state's ruling party cannot be trusted.
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Raman Singh said that Congress is yet to fulfil the promises it made in the previous Assembly elections.
"The manifesto of Congress cannot be believed. Five years ago they promised to ban liquor in the state but they did not fulfil it. Why will the people of Chhattisgarh believe them?" Raman Singh said.
On a day the Congress unveiled its poll manifesto for Chhattisgarh promising to conduct a caste census if elected, BJP national president JP Nadda hit out at the ruling party saying that if people vote back incumbent Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, they are "guaranteed to be looted again".
Addressing a public meeting at Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district of Chhattisgarh on Sunday, the BJP national chief said, "If you bring back the Baghel government, you are guaranteed to be looted again. Hasn't Baghel done enough damage to the state and its people through the liquor scam, rice scam, coal scam, cow dung scam, and the one involving the Public Service Commission? More such scams are guaranteed if Baghel returns as chief minister."
Raising his pitch against the Congress government, Nadda said CM Baghel did not even spare Mahadev (another name of Lord Shiva) from his "list of scams".
"They did not even spare Mahadev. Asim Das (arrested in connection with the Mahadev betting app scam) has revealed that Rs 508 crore was paid to Bhupesh Baghel for funding the election expenses here," the BJP national chief said.
BJP leader and Union minister Smriti Irani participated in the party's bike rally in the Bastar region on Sunday as the campaigning in the poll-bound Chhattisgarh came to an end today ahead of the first phase voting on November 7.
Irani could be been riding a scooter from Keshkal to Kondagaon along with other party workers.
She was also seen preparing tea for party workers in Kondagaon, Bastar as the last-minute outreach to the voters.
Earlier on Friday, unveiling the BJP's manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the double-engine government will make Chhattisgarh a fully-developed state over the next five years if elected.
Listing out the BJP's salient promises to the people of Chhattisgarh in the manifesto, titled 'Modi ki Guarantee 2023', Shah said, "As mentioned in our manifesto, the BJP, if voted back in Chhattisgarh, will launch the Krishi Unnati Yojana, as part of which we will purchase 21 quintals/acre of paddy at the price of Rs 3,100. The amount raised from our purchase would be passed on to the farmers."
The election campaigning for the Chhattisgarh Assembly has ended.
The elections for the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly will be held in two phases, with the first phase of polling for 20 seats scheduled on November 7 and the remaining 70 seats to go for polling on November 17. The counting of votes will be done on December 3.