BJP’s Madhya Pradesh election manifesto criticized by opposition leader Kamal Nath

Opposition leader Kamal Nath said that the’sankalp patra’ does not include an increase in the monthly financial aid under the Ladli Bahna Yojana to Rs 3,000, as was promised by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its manifesto for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections on Saturday.

‘It takes a lot of courage to lie. Shivraj ji, you have not left any city or town in Madhya Pradesh where you have not put up hoardings and banners promising to give Rs 3,000 to your sisters (under Ladli Bahna Yojana). But today, when you released the Sankalp Patra, you didn’t make any announcement (on it),’ Nath said.

Currently, the Ladli Bahna Yojana’s female recipients get Rs 1,250 each month. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the BJP leader and chief minister, however, said that this would be raised to Rs 3,000 per month over time.

The head of the opposition party’s state unit in Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath, also claimed that many of the promises made in the 96-page manifesto were taken directly from the Congress.

Among other things, the BJP’s manifesto promises to provide cooking gas cylinders at a cost of Rs 450 to those who receive benefits from the Ladli Behna and Ujjwala schemes, as well as to provide girls from low-income households with free education up to the post-graduation level.

Further, Kamal Nath attacked the BJP for not addressing matters like waiving farmer loans, filling two lakh vacant posts, providing 100 free electricity units and 200 units at half rates, granting other backward classes a 27% reservation, and bringing back the Old Pension Scheme.

‘What are you doing on these issues? I know you haven’t answered my questions in 18 years of your rule and won’t do so today either. But the people of Madhya Pradesh will give a befitting answer,’ Nath said attacking the ruling BJP.

Kamal Nath further reassured women that they need not fear because, should the Congress win an election, the ‘Nari Samman Yojana’ will give them a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 and would start providing gas cylinders for Rs 500 on January 1.

Elections for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly are slated for November 17; the results will be announced on December 3. The publishing of the BJP manifesto is a component of the party’s campaign strategy ahead of these significant elections.