Small is beautiful if the mantra for the Rahul Gandhi led Congress electoral campaign in Uttar Pradesh. The manifesto, released today will promise to develop the state’s infrastructure of road network, power and industry, with a firm eye on wooing the caste vote bank in the state. While a Water Farming Institute will be set up for OBCs like Majhis, Nishads; Woodwork institute for Vishwakarma Horticulture institute for Shakyas; the Congress manifesto for UP promises to develop specialised institutes for caste specific trades, weaving, animal husbandry, horticulture. At the same time, to boost employment in the state, localised industries will be revived through developing “special commercial hubs” across the state, tourism and weaving in Varanasi, glassware in Firozabad, printing and perfumes in Farukkhabad and Kannauj, and locks in Aligrah.
Significantly, encouraging local industries will not just give a fillip to job prospects in the state stemming migration of labour to other states, (an oft repeated Rahul Gandhi statement), it will also bring in large chunks of caste based vote banks that are dependant on these trades.
Gandhi, has strategically been wooing OBCs, the Most Backward Dalits and the SCs and STs and minorities in this crucial election 2012, recognizing the fact that caste vote banks plays a vital role in the state.
Rather than promising big industries, the Congress is pushing for SMEs and micro industries and providing incentives for such units which will hire semi-skilled labour from rural UP.
At the same time, to develop the much neglected infrastructural backbone of the state, the party is promising to revamp the road network, upgrade the Meerut- Delhi highway into world class highway, make the state power surplus within five years and set up three new greenfield airports in the state.
Significantly, the party is also promising to extend the Delhi Metro to all NCR areas of UP within five years.
With an eye on attracting the Mahadalit votes, the manifesto is promising a quota for the “most oppressed within the SCs” in government jobs and education. Alongwith this, STs too have not been neglected, the party has committed to pursuing a case for reinstatement of 9 tribes listed as SCs- Kols, Majhis, Korwas, Kuraus, Dhangars, Macheras, Ghasiyas, Badis and Koarais.
Special economic packages like the Central package for Bundelkhand have been promised for other backward regions like Mirzapur, Sonbhadra and Chandauli.
Farmers and agriculturalists, who are being assiduously wooed by the party, have been promised separate agricultural power grid to ensure farmers get adequate power supply; infact promising eight hours supply for tube wells in the farm sector.
The 18 % minority vote bank, which all political parties in the state are hoping top cash in on, the most backward among them have been promised a reservation. Urdu will be notified as the second official language.
Agriculture is a thrust area for the party with promises for setting up Dairy Mission on the AMUL model, a Pulses Mission, a Horticulture mission and launching of a new irrigation policy.
To boost its prospects among the sizeable youth votebank in the state, the party is promising to launch the UP Skills and Employment mission wherin two million youth will be trained and given jobs.
The Central government directive for all government procurement to ensure that a certain amount is procured from SC/ST/ OBC/ minorities enterprises has also been mentioned.
With such a bouquet of policy initiatives which will on the one hand spell economic revival of the state and at the same time appease the myriad castes, the Congress hopes to brighten its prospects in the February polls.