The Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction released its manifesto for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls on Monday, with a major highlight being a caste-based Census.
The NCP, a constituent of the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, comprising the Shiv Sena and the BJP, also promises Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers and demands Bharat Ratna for the late former Maharashtra chief minister and defence minister Yashvantrao Chavan.
“Our party believes in the right to live as a human irrespective of caste, creed and religion. It believes in equality and unity. The NCP has faith in social reformer Sane Guruji’s quote, ‘The true religion is to offer love to the world.’ We must bring the deprived and backward sections of society into the mainstream. We will demand for a caste-based census,” the manifesto stated.
Releasing the manifesto, NCP’s Working President Praful Patel said that the agenda of their manifesto is based on the inclusive and progressive growth propagated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
However, Patel stated that although the party joined hands with the NDA-led Mahayuti alliance, it has “not compromised on its ideology of Phule-Shahu-Ambedkar, which is ‘Secular'”.
NCP chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also affirmed that “even if we have joined Mahayuti, we have not abandoned our ideology”.
“In recent times, political stances do not necessarily align with the party’s ideology. We can look at examples like Mayawati, Mamata Banerjee, Chandrababu Naidu, Jayalalithaa and Farooq Abdullah, where, despite differing ideologies, alliances were formed based on the political situations in their states,” he said.
The statement by the NCP leaders comes against the backdrop of PM Modi’s recent remarks on the Muslim community, which sparked controversy.
MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MANIFESTO
- Classical language status for Marathi language
- Bharat Ratna for former Chief Minister Yashwantrao Chavan
- Demand for a caste-based census
- Push for the implementation of measures and funds to ensure that students from minority communities will get opportunities for higher education, entrepreneurship and employment.
- She service and facility-centric policy for Haj Pilgrims
- Minimum Support Price for farmers
- Working women hostels in cities across Maharashtra
- Thirty-three per cent of reservations for women
- Fifty per cent concession to senior citizens above 60 years in railways and metro
- Ayushman Bharat scheme for 70 years and above
Meanwhile, NCP Sharad Pawar camp leader and former minister Jitendra Awhad targeted Ajit Pawar over PM Modi’s communal remark. Awhad also said that Ajit Pawar, as Finance Minister, ill-treated Adivasi Minister Vijay Kumar Gavit and KC Padvi.
He alleged that Ajit Pawar stopped funds allocated to the Adivasi ministry, and Gavit had to interrupt his campaign trail to convince Ajit Pawar to release the funds.
“He insulted ex-Adivasi minister KC Padvi several times in front of me. Congress senior leaders used to plead with him to allot funds,” Awhad alleged.
On PM Modi’s controversial statement, Awhad said that the Election Commission is surveilling the opposition with binoculars but cannot act on PM Modi’s speech, which is “spreading communal hatred”.
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