Cong manifesto to eye youth
GUJARAT POLLS Party to offer unemployment allowance, smartphones, cheap housing for women, lower power tariffs
NEW DELHI: In keeping with its longterm approach of focusing on entitlements, the Congress is likely to promise monthly stipends up to ~4,000 for jobless youth, smartphones for people below 35 years, reduction in house tax and affordable housing for women in its manifesto for next month’ s assembly elections in Gujarat.
Congress leaders said the poll document -- that contains promises, programmes and policies of the party for the next five years if voted to power – is likely to be called the “people’s manifesto” and released next week.
Gujarat, where the Congress is out of power for 22 years, goes to polls on December 9 and 14. Results are expected on December 18.
Leaders said the manifesto is also likely to promise a panel that will look into the demand for quota in jobs and educational institutions by the influential Patidar community.
A section of Patidars, led by young leader Hardik Patel, has pledged support to the Congress.
However, the main thrust of the party appeared to be the youth and women who form a sizeable number of voters and could make or break the Congress’ hopes of seizing power in Prime Minister Na rend ra Mo di’ s home state .“A monthly unemployment allowance of ~4,000 will be given to a post-graduate,~3,500 to a graduate and ~3,000 to Class XII passouts. It will cost an estimated ~7,000 crore to the state exchequer annually,” a party leader told HT.
Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki said there are around 30 lakh jobless youth in the state and the unemployment rate has gone up from 3.8% in 2011 to 5% in 2017.
Under a scheme called the ‘na vs ar janyuv ar oz gar ’, the Congress will promise smart phones and low interest loans to educated youth to set up their businesses, party leaders said.