Congress has fulfilled most promises made in 2018 manifesto: Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo

Even as assembly elections in Chhattisgarh are scheduled to be held in around 18 months, senior Congress leader and state Health Minister TS Singh Deo has highlighted that the Congress has already fulfilled most of the promises it had made in its manifesto in 2018.

The manifesto had 36 principal points and of the most challenging promises, the state has fulfilled those pertaining to waiver of loans and providing prices above MSP for crops such as paddy, sugarcane, maize and gram. They had also vowed higher prices for tobacco leaves.

“All of these touch the pockets of the agrarian economy. We had also taken up halving the electricity charge up to 400 units. We also took the initiative to return land which was taken up by large industrial units to set up plants but failed to do so within the stipulated five years,” Deo said.

He refuted allegations that soft Hindutva was being adopted by the Congress, pointing out that places of mythological interest were being promoted by the state tourism department as the party did not want to be perceived as being against any religion.

The minister underscored that BJP was trying to foment communal tension in the state as it had no other agenda to try come to power. “The propagation of Hindutva has mobilised BJP’s politics and they feel there is a consolidation of votes through this agenda. This has given them success, so wherever they feel they are not strong enough, they will try it. And they tried it in Kawardha,” observed Deo.

He said the byelection result in the neighbouring district of Khairgad had proved that the BJP’s attempts to polarise people on the basis on religion in the region had failed.

The ruling Congress candidate Yashoda Verma had defeated her nearest rival, BJP’s Komal Janghel by more than 20,000 votes.

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