Lok Sabha polls top updates: Samajwadi Party manifesto promises caste census, MSP guarantee

Union minister of state Rajeev Chandrasekhar has sued Congress MP Shashi Tharoor for making allegedly defamatory statements.

The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls promising a roll back of the Agniveer scheme for recruitment to the Indian Army, a caste census and a legal Minimum Support Price guarantee for farmers. The Aam Aadmi Party launched its campaign for the general elections seeking votes dedicated to its jailed chief Arvind Kejriwal. Union minister of state Rajeev Chandrasekhar has sued Congress MP Shashi Tharoor for making allegedly defamatory statements.

Here’s a look at the top updates:

• The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday promised to conduct a caste-wise census to fill all the vacant government posts of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes by 2025, in its poll manifesto. The manifesto also promises to address unemployment, education and guarantees Minimum Support Price for farmers. The party’s manifesto has also promised to protect the Constitution of India from being amended.
• Union Minister of State for Information Technology and Electronics Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday sent a legal notice to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor for allegedly making defamatory statements about him in an interview. Chandrasekhar is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram, a constituency which Tharoor currently represents. Tharoor had claimed in an interview that he received information from various sources, including “certain important community leaders and parish priests”, suggesting that the BJP was trying to influence voters with cash.
• With its national convenor Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in jail, the Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday began door-to-door outreach under its “Jail ka jawab vote se” – “Respond to jail with votes” – campaign, seeking support for the Delhi chief minister and the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, reported PTI. On Wednesday, Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand resigned from the party citing corruption. However, the Opposition party alleged that e was under pressure to quit.