After Bihar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday promised free Covid-19 vaccine to every resident of Madhya Pradesh in its manifesto for the by-elections to 28 legislative assembly constituencies on November 3.
The BJP has released separate manifestos, titled ‘Sankalp Patra’ (resolution document), for each of the 28 poll-bound constituencies. While the manifestos comprise constituency-specific issues, free Covid-19 vaccine and restart of the schemes closed by the previous Congress government are common promises.
On October 22, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced free vaccines for the state during an election meeting in Gwalior. “Control over the COVID-19 pandemic has been achieved to a great extent in Madhya Pradesh, but the permanent cure is a vaccine. The state government has decided the Covid-19 vaccine will be administered free to the poor who can’t afford it,” he had said.
Other promises in the manifesto include Chouhan’s announcement of direct benefit transfer (DBT) of Rs 4,000 to the beneficiaries of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi also finds mention in the document. More than 27,000 crore rupees have been deposited directly in the bank accounts of farmers, the party has claimed in the manifesto.
The BJP has also attacked the then Congress government, led by Kamal Nath, for its “failure” on all the fronts during its 15-month rule. “When we remained away for 15 months (the then) Congress government formed on the basis of false promises left the poor unassisted. This by-election is to give a reply to the mindset which deprived toddlers, daughters, farmers, old age people, students and labourers of their rights...,” Chouhan’s message read.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP has also attacked the then Congress government, led by Kamal Nath, for its “failure” on all the fronts during its 15-month rule. “When we remained away for 15 months (the then) Congress government formed on the basis of false promises left the poor unassisted. This by-election is to give a reply to the mindset which deprived toddlers, daughters, farmers, old age people, students and labourers of their rights...,” Chouhan’s message read.
{{/usCountry}}Hitting back, state Congress media coordinator Narendra Saluja said: “BJP stands exposed for its mean politics which has made even Corona vaccine a poll issue whereas every citizen has his right over it, irrespective of the party in government.”