Patna: The Mahagathbandhan on Tuesday released its 32-page joint manifesto for the Bihar assembly elections, "Bihar ka Tejashwi Pran".
The manifesto promises that The Waqf Amendment Bill will be put on hold and the management of Waqf properties will be made more welfare-oriented and beneficial by making them transparent.
The management of Buddhist temples located in Bodh Gaya will be handed over to the people of the Buddhist community.
The manifesto states that farmers will be guaranteed the purchase of all crops at the minimum support price and the Mandi and Market Committee will be revived. Mandis will be opened at the divisional, subdivision, and block levels. The APMC Act will be reinstated.
The manifesto vows to provide free health insurance up to Rs 25 lakh under the Jan Swasthya Suraksha Yojana to every resident of the state.
The manifesto also promises that the current 20% reservation for the Most Backward Classes in Panchayat and Municipal bodies will be increased to 30%. For Scheduled Castes (SCs), this limit will be raised from 16% to 20%, and a proportionate increase in reservation for Scheduled Tribes (STs) will also be ensured.
The manifesto also vows that within 20 days of forming the government, an act will be passed to provide government jobs to one member of every family in the state. Women will recive financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per month from December 1st, and Rs 30,000 per year for the next five years Under the Mai-Behin Maan Yojana. Every household will receive 200 units of free electricity.
Earlier in the day, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Mahagathbandhan's Chief Ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav announced that if the INDIA bloc comes to power in Bihar, toddy, a traditional palm drink, will be exempted from the state’s stringent prohibition laws.
Yadav made the promise while speaking at an election rally in Parsa, Saran. His statement comes just days before the first phase of Bihar Assembly polls on November 6.
Bihar has been a dry state since April 2016, when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s government imposed a complete ban on the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol.
Earlier on Sunday, Yadav made a major poll promise on behalf of the Opposition alliance. “If voted to power, the INDIA bloc will double the allowances of the representatives of Bihar’s Panchayati Raj system.”
RJD Expels 27 Leaders For Anti-Party Activities
Meanwhile, the RJD leadership has taken strict action against party leaders contesting elections against the party's official candidates for engaging in anti-party activities, removing 27 leaders from all positions with immediate effect and expelling them from the party's primary membership for six years.
Bihar Polls Dates
Bihar will go to polls in two phases on November 6 and 11. The counting of votes will take place on November 14.
