Congress follows Kejriwal’s path, promises special budget for pilgrimage of elders in Himachal Pradesh

Shimla, 6th November 2022: The country’s oldest party Congress is also now seen following the path of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The Congress in its election manifesto in Himachal Pradesh has put forth ambitious promises ranging from free pilgrimage once in four years for all elders in every assembly constituency to allocating a budget to promote religious tourism.

A 52-page manifesto – ‘Pratigya Patra – Himachal, Himachaliyat and Hum’ was released in the presence of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

Voting for the 68-seat Himachal Assembly will be held on November 12. The party’s manifesto, released on Saturday at Shimla’s Rajiv Bhawan, includes a separate section titled ‘Devsthans and pilgrimages’.

The biggest promise in this clause is the free pilgrimage for all elders of the state to any pilgrimage site, with the Congress promising to bear the cost of such travel every four years. This includes provision for attendants to accompany the elderly on such trips.

Dev Bhoomi Development Fund also announced 

Himachal Pradesh AICC in-charge Rajeev Shukla also announced ‘Dev Bhoomi Vikas Nidhi’, a fund under which a budget is allocated for each assembly constituency to promote religious tourism.

Top BJP leaders including senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda are also raising the religious issue in their election meetings and asking people whether Congress has ever renovated temples in the country.

Promise of one lakh jobs and 300 units of free electricity 

Along with this, the Congress in its manifesto for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections has mentioned restoration of the old pension scheme, providing 300 units of free electricity, a startup fund of Rs 680 crore, one lakh jobs and Rs 1,500 per month for women in the age group of 18 to 60 years.