Lucknow:
A few hours after the BJP listed its promises for Uttar Pradesh, comes the Congress' vision document for the state. It has Rahul Gandhi stamped all over - in spirit and in pictures - and also promises more jobs like the BJP does. The Congress says it will create 20 lakh jobs.
Not a random number, said party leader Salman Khurshid, adding, " We believe the people of UP should get what they deserve." Mr Khurshid, along with other Congress leaders released the document in Lucknow; this is not the party's manifesto. That will be released on January 30.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has scripted the party's Uttar Pradesh campaign, and the vision in today's document clearly comes from those quarters - there is an accent on the needs of the youth and communities like the weavers of UP; the party promise that it will implement a new land acquisition law to ensure farmers and the landless are justly compensated for lost livelihoods and prominently mentions the 4.5 per cent sub quota that the UPA government pushed through for backward Muslims as part of the total 27 per cent quota for backward classes. The manifesto says if voted to power, the Congress will look at increasing it.
The sub quota for backward Muslims has been high on Rahul Gandhi's election agenda in UP with an eye on the 18% Muslim vote in the state. The BJP today said if voted to power it would scrap the 4.5 percent sub quota. The Congress document says the party will rationalise that reservation and expand to include the most backward among minorities.
Sonia Gandhi's party has promised safety for women in the state. Towards that and general improvement in law and order the party says it will ensure at least one police station in every district and will also ensure that there is representation in the state police to "reflect the diversity of UP's population."
The Congress's vision document is big on infrastructure. With a strategic eye on regional aspirations in the state, it has promised infrastructure packages for all backward regions of the state Bundelkhand, Poorvanchal and Terai. It promises a Delhi-like Metro network for UP by 2020. There is also a focus on health and food security.
Not a random number, said party leader Salman Khurshid, adding, " We believe the people of UP should get what they deserve." Mr Khurshid, along with other Congress leaders released the document in Lucknow; this is not the party's manifesto. That will be released on January 30.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has scripted the party's Uttar Pradesh campaign, and the vision in today's document clearly comes from those quarters - there is an accent on the needs of the youth and communities like the weavers of UP; the party promise that it will implement a new land acquisition law to ensure farmers and the landless are justly compensated for lost livelihoods and prominently mentions the 4.5 per cent sub quota that the UPA government pushed through for backward Muslims as part of the total 27 per cent quota for backward classes. The manifesto says if voted to power, the Congress will look at increasing it.
The sub quota for backward Muslims has been high on Rahul Gandhi's election agenda in UP with an eye on the 18% Muslim vote in the state. The BJP today said if voted to power it would scrap the 4.5 percent sub quota. The Congress document says the party will rationalise that reservation and expand to include the most backward among minorities.
Sonia Gandhi's party has promised safety for women in the state. Towards that and general improvement in law and order the party says it will ensure at least one police station in every district and will also ensure that there is representation in the state police to "reflect the diversity of UP's population."
The Congress's vision document is big on infrastructure. With a strategic eye on regional aspirations in the state, it has promised infrastructure packages for all backward regions of the state Bundelkhand, Poorvanchal and Terai. It promises a Delhi-like Metro network for UP by 2020. There is also a focus on health and food security.
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