Raising the bar for the battle for Uttar Pradesh, the Rashtriya Lok Dal on Sunday promised one crore jobs for youth if voted to power. Releasing the election manifesto in Lucknow, party president Jayant Singh said the party had made 22 resolutions for 2022 after extensive consultation with stakeholders.
Underlining that the RLD was the first political party to release a manifesto, he said the party had set the agenda for the Assembly polls by raising “real issues that concern the electorate.”
He hoped that the State Government would respond to the party’s manifesto and try to better it in the months leading to the election. “Up till now, it seems that Yogiji (Chief Minister Adityanath) is contesting elections against the Pakistan cricket team and if that is not available he would stand against Aurangazeb,” Mr. Singh said. He added that wherever the BJP would ignite the “fire of communalism”, the RLD would work to douse the flames with “the spirit of bhaichara (brotherhood).”
“The claim of one crore jobs sounds tall but it is only 3-4 % of the total population of the State,” said Mr Singh. He said that if a government could not provide jobs to even 3% of its population in five years, there was no point in associating with such a system. “The BJP government had promised 70 lakh jobs to youth in 2017 but according to party advertisements it has been able to provide only four lakh jobs in the last five years,” he said.
Committed to improving the situation of farmers, the RLD manifesto, released on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, promised to double the amount given to farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. “The farmers would be given ₹6,000 over the Central Government scheme annually on December 23, the birth anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh. For farmers working on barren land, this amount will be ₹9,000,” Mr. Singh said, adding that the wage rate of the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme would be raised to ₹320, the highest in the country. Workers would be assured of a minimum of 100 days of work, he promised.
Standing by farmers
Putting the ongoing farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s agriculture reform laws in the category of historic movements such as those of Champaran, Malabar and Bardoli, Mr. Singh promised to pass a resolution against the laws in the first session of the new Assembly if voted to power. He added that farmers who had lost their lives during the agitation would be given the status of martyrs. “This government has tried to silence every group that stood up for its rights. It is only the farmer who has withstood the lathis of this government whose heart beats only for corporates,” he said.
The manifesto promised to set the State Advisory Price (SAP) for sugarcane and potato at 1.5 times the cost incurred and guaranteed payment within 14 days. It promised audits of mills that could not pay the sugarcane farmers on time and a new, more effective State crop insurance scheme for farmers.
Tackling the issue of rising electricity bills in the State, the party promised to waive off the outstanding bills of farmers and weavers and cut down the charges in the future by half.
Making a brave move in a region known for its deep-seated patriarchy, the party assured 50% quota for women in jobs and promotions.
Tapping on another long-standing issue, the party also promised that it would establish Benches of the Allahabad High Court in western Uttar Pradesh, Bundelkhand, and Purvanchal.
The manifesto talked about the party’s commitment towards smaller administrative units but did not clarify on the demand for carving out a separate Harit Pradesh out of western Uttar Pradesh. It is also silent on reservation for Jats, another long-standing demand in the region, in Central Government jobs. “We have focussed on real issues that should provoke other parties to respond,” said Ajay Kumar, co-convenor of the manifesto committee. On bringing out a separate manifesto when talks on seat adjustment with Samajwadi Party were still in progress, Mr. Singh said the RLD was an independent entity and a common minimum programme would be worked out.
