SP releases poll manifesto: With a mix of welfarism and social justice, Akhilesh Yadav hopes to score big in UP

Akhilesh Yadav

Less than a week after the Congress released its ‘Sankalp Patra’ (election manifesto), its senior alliance partner in Uttar Pradesh—the Samajwadi Party on April 11 released its vision document for the Lok Sabha elections. Among a host of socio-economic and welfare oriented pronouncement, the party has promised a caste-based census by 2025.

As the INIDA bloc got into a huddle over the seat-sharing pact in India’s most electorally significant state,  the grouping unequivocally expressed its desire to go beyond the rhetoric and communicate to the electorate an alternative model of life and livelihood that ensures their social, economic and political welfare. The alternative model of development that is all-encompassing is pitched against Bharatiya Janata Party’s version of development.

The SP is contesting 62 out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh as part of the alliance, while the Congress is contesting 17 seats. The Bhadohi Lok Sabha seat has been given to Trinamool Congress.

Aligning the vision document with SP's stated goals

Reiterating the SP’s collective fight against the alleged forms of injustice prevalent under the current ruling dispensation, the SP chief said: The main demands in this vision document are - the right to protect the constitution, the right to protect democracy, the right to freedom of media, and the right to social justice... the right to social justice is needed for the development of the country. Inclusive development isn't possible without the caste census. Caste census is the axis of development of the country..."

Also Read: Akhilesh Yadav confirms alliance with Congress, INDIA bloc's UP list may be out today

Raising the pitch for Caste Census

The SP supremo said conducting caste census was his party's guarantee. Since the Bihar caste census was released on October 3, Opposition parties have raised the pitch in demanding representation proportional to caste-wise population. On Monday, the Congress said that if voted to power at the Centre, it will conduct a similar exercise at the national level and remove the 50% cap on caste-based quotas.

Yadav reiterated that caste-wise census would be conducted after the formation of the INDIA bloc government at the Centre to fill all the vacant government posts of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes by 2025.

Try to reap maximum electoral dividend from ‘PDA’ plank

The 20-page document has called for a PDA government this time. PDA is an acronym for Pichde (backward classes), Dalit and Alpasankhyak (minorities) that was coined by Yadav. The party also promised to restore the old pension scheme, ensure the participation of all sections of society in the private sector and completely eliminate poverty by 2029.

The manifesto includes giving a legal guarantee of minimum support price to the farmers, waiving off agricultural loans of farmers, providing free irrigation facilities, and formation of a Farmers’ Commission. A promise has been made to provide a pension of Rs 5,000 per month to all landless small and marginal farmers.

A visible plan to counter BJP's 'Nari Shakti' pitch

SP's  election blueprint has been mindfully designed to counter the saffron party on issues that the BJP aggressively espouses. The SP manifesto attempts to Adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards crimes against women, along with a nationwide helpline, ensuring 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and Assemblies within two years of coming to power without waiting for delimitation, reserving 33 per cent government jobs for women were promised in the manifesto.

The right to free education, an increase in the budget for education from three per cent to six per cent of the GDP, a legal guarantee on the right to quality health for all and elimination of the digital divide, are some of the notable promises made by the social justice party.

The other promises made in the manifesto are to stop privatisation and retrenchment of central and state public sector units and to set up smart village clusters across the country to be operated through the Smart Village Cluster Development Authority.