Congress-led UDF in Kerala has promised 36 lakh jobs, Re one a kg rice for BPL families, farm loans at three per cent interest and free bi-cycles to class X students in its manifesto for the April 13 Assembly elections, released today after ironing out differences with two of its partners over seat allocations.
The manifesto promised to provide 25 kg of rice at Re one to Below Poverty Line families and at Rs two per kg to other ration card holders.
The grievances of the Communist Marxist Party (CMP) led by former minister M V Raghavan and Socialist Janata (Democratic) of M P Veerendra Kumar have been “amicably” sorted out, front leaders told reporters here.
CMP would be contesting in Nenmara, Kunnamkulam and Dharmadam seats after it surrendered Nattika, offered earlier.
The party had on Wednesday rejected the offer of - Nattika, Kunnamkulam and Dharmadam seats - and decided to stay away from polls saying the three seats were traditionally strongholds of LDF.
SJ(D) would put up candidates in six constituencies - Vatakara, Nemom, Mattannur, Kuthuparamba, Kalpetta and Elathur, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Oommen Chandy, KPCC Presdient Ramesh Chennithala and UDF Convenor P P Thankachan said.
The Congress will decide on the candidate for Nattika after consulting the party high command. With the addition of this seat, the party would be contesting 82 seats in the polls.
Mr. Chandy said the Congress had fielded sitting MLA in Chittor and so could not accept the demand of SJ(D) for that seat and CMP’s demand for Azhikode also was not acceptable to it.
Other salient features of the manifesto are setting up of pepper and horticulture boards, backdoor appointments to be reconsidered, interest-free loans for purchasing computers and motorbikes for students, making Kochi metro project a reality, ensuring electricity connections to all households within one year and exploitation by operators of other State lotteries to be stopped.
Stating that protest meetings and demonstrations were held in some places against the Congress candidates list approved by party high command, Chennithala warned that disciplinary action would be taken against party workers who continued with such agitations.
