Lok Sabha 2024: Sharad Pawar’s NCP releases manifesto; favours caste census, farmers’ welfare

The party endorsed the five guarantees given by the Congress in its manifesto on the issues pertaining to farmers, youth, women, labourers, and the caste census

Updated - April 25, 2024 09:02 pm IST - Pune

NCP-SCP Chief Sharad Pawar.

NCP-SCP Chief Sharad Pawar. | Photo Credit: ANI

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Thursday released its election manifesto, favouring caste census while promising a separate commission for farmers welfare, right to apprenticeship, 50% reservation for women in jobs and scrapping of the Agnipath scheme among other assurances.

The manifesto of the NCP (SP), a constituent of the tripartite Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) supported full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, and opposed the idea of ‘one nation, one election’.

NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil, who unveiled the manifesto in the presence of party chief Sharad Pawar, said the NCP (SP) would demand a Constitutional amendment to raise the 50% cap on reservations.

Also Read | Ajit Pawar-led NCP backs caste-based census in party’s manifesto

“We will ban contract labour in government sectors and legally protect contract workers’ benefits. The NCP (SP) will also review and propose changes to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Register for Citizens (NRC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other laws which conflict with Constitutional principles,” Mr. Patil said.

He said that the party endorsed the five guarantees given by the Congress in the latter party’s manifesto on the issues pertaining to farmers, youth, women, labourers and the caste census.

Stating that the NCP (SP)’s manifesto stressed on “all-inclusive” development while guaranteeing affordable health and education, Mr. Patil said if his party were to be given a chance to be in power at the Centre, it would rein in petrol and LPG prices and give the Goods and Services Tax (GST) “a human face”.

Meanwhile, the 83-year-old Mr. Pawar hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the latter, during a rally in Amravati on Wednesday, had demanded Mr. Pawar apologise for his alleged failure as Union Agriculture Minister for two terms in the erstwhile Congress-led UPA Government.

“Amit Shah’s knowledge of agriculture is limited…I won’t reply to such people,” Mr. Pawar said.

Mr. Patil alleged that during the tenure of the BJP, farmer suicides had drastically surged as opposed to the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance regime.

“Pawar saheb was the Agriculture Minister from 2004 to 2014. During this period, 168 farmers had ended their lives in Amravati. And now, during an eight-year period of PM Modi’s governance from 2014 to 2022, 363 farmers had ended their lives. Similarly, in Akola, Yavatmal and other Vidarbha districts, more farmers had died by suicide during Modi’s regime than the UPA’s regime…So who should apologise?” Mr. Patil said.

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