UP Polls 2022: a quick look at parties manifesto 

As political parties start to battle it out for the constituencies of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, they have released their manifestos wooing the voter with various poll promises.  This week, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Samajwadi Party, and Congress released their manifestos. All of them offered some kind of freebie to different sectors of society to woo the voters.

All of them mainly focus on the farmers, the poor, women, and the youth.

The Congress actually released three different manifestos, ‘Bharti Vidhan’ for the youth, ‘Shakti Vidhan’ for women, and ‘Unnati Vidhan’ for the general UP population.   

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) opted out of the whole arrangement as BSP chief Mayawati said she believes the manifesto released by rival parties was a “mere flaunting of false promises.”

She claimed that people should keep in mind that only BSP can give a reliable government free of violence and riots while generating employment and ensuring development.  

Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)  

A few major promises in the BJP manifesto are:  

• The first significant promise of BJP is free electricity for farmers. They have also promised to double the amount that landless farmers get in the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PMKISAN) scheme.   
• Right now, the farmers get Rs. 6,000 annually in three installments of Rs. 2,000 each, which is directly transferred to beneficiaries.   
• The next significant promise is for the female voters as BJP has promised a free scooty for female students as well as working women.
• They have also promised free coaching to female students preparing for UPSC and PSC.   

• Students also have been promised a laptop due to the rise of the online education system in the covid-19 pandemic.
• The party has promised the youth with the rise in employment, with every household gaining at least one job.  
• The poor have been promised two free cylinders every year on the occasions of Holi and Diwali under the Ujjwala Yojna.
• This scheme aims to give a free gas connection to households, the cost of which will be covered by the state government.  

Congress  

Key points of Congress’s UP manifestos:  

• Farmer loans will be waived within ten days. Electricity bills would also be cut to half, and covid period dues would be waived if Congress came to power.
• Paddy and wheat will be purchased at Rs. 2500 per quintal and sugarcane at Rs. 400 per quintal.  
• 40% of jobs will be reserved for women. 12 lakh government job opportunities will be generated, out of which 8 lakh jobs will be for women. Women police officers will be given permission to be posted in their hometowns. Handicapped women’s pension would increase to Rs. 3000 per month.  
• Families affected by covid-19 will be given economic relief of Rs. 25,000, and compensation of 50 lakh would be provided to kin of covid related frontline workers.
• A seed startup fund will be created for entrepreneurs of Rs. 5 thousand crores.  
• SC and ST students are promised to be given free education from KG to PG. Reservation for SC and ST in promotion of government employees. Kol community will be given tribal status.  

Samajwadi Party  

SP’s promises in their manifesto named ‘Samajwadi Vachan Patra’ included:  

• A debt-free law will be brought into effect for extremely poor farmers, and the aim would be that all farmers should be debt-free by 2025.
• Farmers with less than 2 acres of land will be given two bags of DAP, five bags of Urea, electricity for irrigation, interest-free loan, insurance, and pension.
• Kin of farmers that died in farmer’s protests will be provided compensation of Rs. 25 lakh, and farmer’s memorial will be held to honor their name.   

• Below the poverty line (BPL), families will be given two LPG cylinders every year. ‘Samajwadi grocery stores’ will be set up for poor workers, masons, and the homeless to get ration and other necessities at subsidized rates.
• An annual pension of Rs. 18,000 will be given to artisans, laborers, and other workers of the unorganized sector. Cashless health services will be provided to the poor.  
• The SP manifesto has promised women of all sections– general, SC, ST, and other economically weaker sections– 33% reservation in government jobs.
• Free education will be provided to girls from KG to PG. Kanya Vidya Dhan Yojna will be revived, and girls who pass class 12 will be given a lump sum amount of Rs. 36,000. A zero-tolerance policy will be adopted for hate crimes against women, minorities, and Dalits.   
• The SP manifesto has also focused on jobs to generate employment for one crore people in the MSME sector.
• They will also review and revive the IT industry so that 22 lakh people will be given work with the ‘Urban Employment Guarantee Act.  
• Two-wheeler owners will be given 1-liter petrol. Auto-rickshaw drivers will be given 3 liters of petrol and 6 kg of CNG per month.
• The entire state is promised to get 300 units of free electricity and a 24-hour power supply.  

Uttar Pradesh assembly elections 2022 will be held in seven phases – February 10, February 14, February 20, February 25, February 27, March 3, and March 7.

The counting of the votes will be done on March 10. 

Published by- Aashay Bhujbal

Edited by- Kritika Kashyap