6 months ago
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The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday evening released its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha election and focused - as the Congress, the DMK, and other members of the INDIA opposition bloc have - on vowing to repeal changes to the citizenship law should it defeat the BJP at the centre.
Bengal's ruling party - seen as part of INDIA despite failed seat-sharing talks with the Congress-led group - also made other big-ticket promises, including 10 free LPG (cooking gas) cylinders every year to below-poverty-line families and five kg of free rations (rice, wheat, and grains) monthly.
Ms Banerjee's party has also vowed to back farmers in the MSP, or minimum support price, row, which triggered a massive, months-long confrontation - including a blockade around Delhi - between protesting agriculturists and the centre in 2020, and a second round of protests earlier this year.
The Trinamool has said it will set this price in line with the MS Swaminathan Commission's recommendations and "at least 50 per cent higher than the average cost of production".
The prices of petrol and diesel will be "capped at affordable levels" and a price stabilisation fund would be set up to handle future fluctuations in what is a volatile international market.
The Trinamool has also promised 100 days of guaranteed work to all job card holders, and that all registered workers, nationwide, will get an increased wage of Rs 400 per day.
It has also reached out to students, promising to triple the number of higher education scholarships for marginalised - Other Backward Classes, and Scheduled Castes and Tribes - communities.
For senior citizens (over 60 years), the existing pension scheme will be overhauled. They will now get Rs 1,000 per month. "Dignified housing" has been guaranteed for all poor families in the country.
This will provide "safe and secure homes" to everyone, Ms Banerjee said.
"These are the promises which we will fulfil as part of (the) INDIA bloc, when it forms the next government," outgoing Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien said at the launch event in Kolkata.
The Trinamool manifesto follows those of its allies - Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK and the Congress, as well as that of the CPI(M), which made headlines by vowing to dismantle India's nuclear weapons.
The CPI(M)'s promise triggered pushback from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who said the Left party was playing with national security and claimed a "deep-rooted conspiracy" against the nation.
The BJP released its manifesto last week. The document underlined Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus on the poor, young men and women, farmers, and women, all of whom are seen as key vote banks for the saffron party. Mr Modi said the BJP manifesto focuses on the "dignity (and) quality of life", the quantity of opportunity as well as the quality of opportunity.
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