Rahul likely to announce 10-point poll promise for youth in MP rally today

Seeking to woo the country's youth ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to announce a 10-point poll promise for the youth and unemployed people of the country in a rally in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, according to the sources.

According to sources, the Congress MP will announce the poll promises in the rally that will be addressed by him and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in Badnawar District of Madhya Pradesh today.

With election season fast approaching, the Congress Election Committee (CEC) headed by Kharge is likely to meet on Thursday to finalise candidates for a clutch of states like Kerala and Karnataka. The BJP has so far announced 195 candidates.

A Congress panel tasked with preparing the party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls has prepared a draft of the mannifesto, that will now be discussed by the Congress Working Committee.

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who heads the manifesto committee, said the draft report will be presented to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

"We have prepared the draft manifesto. Now it will go to the Congress Working Committee. They will finalise the manifesto then it will become the Congress party document. Tomorrow we will hand over this draft to the Congress President," he said on Tuesday.

Congress is all set to launch its campaign for the Lok Sabha polls next week, aiming to cater to different age groups, as per the sources.

Sources said Congress will also put up hoardings promising legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers. Earlier, during the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' March, the party had said it would provide a legal guarantee of MSP for farmers if voted to power.

The Congress has promised to conduct a nationwide caste census if voted to power.

To provide momentum to the election campaign, the Congress has appointed 100,000 Booth Level Agents (BLA). The Lok Sabha polls are likely to be held in April-May this year.