Sharad Pawar's NCP releases Lok Sabha polls manifesto 'Shapath Patra'

NCP (SCP) manifesto promised a reduction in prices of LPG gas, petrol and diesel. It also promised strict laws on women's safety, and filling the vacant positions in government.

Releasing the party's manifesto, NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar hit back at the BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks that "Sharad Pawar should apologise for the farmers" suicide when he was Agriculture Minister.

"In the last ten years, farmers' suicides have increased. Amit Shah should first tell what he has done to stop suicides in the last ten years," Pawar said.

On the occasion, NCP (SCP) leader Jayant Patil said, "We are releasing our manifesto today, our leaders will raise these issues in the parliament. Our manifesto name is 'Shapath Patra'. Inflation is on the rise, farmers are in a bad state, and unemployment is at its peak."

On Prime Minister Modi's statement that Congress wants to take away the gold and property of people and distribute it among "those having more children", Pawar said, "People expect that the PM of the nation should be for all irrespective of caste religion language etc. In a speech, he tried to take a different stand about minorities in the nation.

"During the election campaign, we will take his angle among the people and will try to make people understand that his view can hurt the unity of the nation and should be condemned," he added.

The next four phases of elections will take place in Maharashtra on April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20.

The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh (80).

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena secured 18 out of 23 seats.

The undivided NCP, part of the opposition alliance, contested 19 seats and won four in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Following the split in the Shiva Sena 2022, the Eknath Shinde faction aligned with the BJP. (ANI)