Ahead of May 10 polls, the opposition party Congress released its poll manifesto named ‘Sarva Janangada Shanthiya Thota’ (Peaceful garden of all communities). The manifesto reaffirms the party’s commitment to its five guarantees, which it had pledged to deliver through various initiatives. These promises include investing in irrigation and rural development projects and establishing a welfare board for gig workers, among other measures.
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The party has pledged to invest ₹1.5 lakh crore over the next five years to complete unfinished irrigation projects in Karnataka, ₹1.5 lakh crore for agricultural modernisation, and ₹50,000 crore for rural infrastructure development. It will also be investing ₹5,000 crore in the tourism industry.
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Congress has also reiterated its five guarantees. It had promised 200 units of free power to all households, 10 kg of rice free to every member of BPL household under Anna Bhagya, ₹2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family named Gruha Lakshmi, and ₹3,000 every month for graduate youth, and ₹1,500 for diploma holders - both in the age group of 18-25- for two years. The fifth guarantee is free travel for women in the state’s public transport buses.
In addition to creating separate boards for taxi and car drivers, the party will create a welfare board for gig workers, its manifesto said.
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Additionally, to relieve Bengaluru’s traffic congestion, the party promises building tunnel roads in the Central Business District region using a public-private partnership (PPP) model. It also plans to build long-raised flyovers in the north, south, and southeast of the city.
On reservation, it promises raising SCs reservation percentage to 17 per cent from 15 per cent, for STs 7 per cent from 3 per cent, restoring minority reservation of 4 per cent, and increase reservations for Lingayat, Vokkaliggas, and other communities.