Congress may pledge Karnataka-like '5 guarantees' in Maharashtra

NEW DELHI: Congress is seriously weighing the "five guarantees" of Karnataka as the populist promises for the Maharashtra electorate.

An additional feature in the Maharashtra polls will be the promise of " caste census ", to woo communities across the caste divide and to assure the electorate that the Congress approach seeks to address the multiple quota rows raging in the state without disturbing the existing share of any community.

The populist promises being considered for Maharashtra revolve around monthly cash payments to the women heads of households, free bus travel for women, free 10 kg food grains for families, free power up to 200 units, unemployment allowance.

Well-placed sources said the Congress brass is actively discussing the Karnataka guarantees for the Maharashtra manifesto, though there may be some tweaks. The populist approach seeks to build on the party's success in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when Congress, as part of the three-way MVA alliance comprising Sharad Pawar's NCP and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, swept 31 of the 48 seats.

What seems to have added urgency to the party's populist approach is the sops the BJP-backed Eknath Shinde govt has unveiled after its dismal LS show, like the launch of the "Ladki-Bahin Yojana" entitling women between 21-65 years to a monthly payment of Rs 1,500. Congress is likely to promise an increase in the cash amount paid under the scheme.

The party first adopted the "guarantee-based approach" in the 2022 Himachal polls, which also marked its first victory since December 2018 when it swept Chhattisgarh, MP and Rajasthan. Then, it announced "five guarantees" for Karnataka polls, where it registered a big win over BJP in May 2023. Later, Congress made similar promises in the winning cause of Telangana in December 2023.