Uddhav, Pawar for power to states

Mumbai: The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls, has strongly advocated for the decentralisation of power among the states of the country.

“The country, in its constitution, has adopted a model of union of states, which allows equal rights to the Centre and the states. After coming to power, we will ensure that this model is followed sincerely by ending the Centre’s autocratic rule and giving states their due rights,” said Thackeray while releasing the manifesto in Mumbai on Thursday.

“According to the constitution, the Centre can meddle in the states’ affairs only in the external matters and during the emergency. It should respect the states’ rights and should not make them stand in queue begging for their rights,” said the Sena chief.

Saying that the days of one-party rule are over, Thackeray claimed that the previous coalition governments run by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and PV Narsimha Rao had done well.

“However, there is now a dictatorship in the country. The true face of the BJP has been exposed as they want a brute majority to change the constitution and finish off the democracy. People’s local representatives have been deprived of their rights and the central government is being run single-handedly. The Lok Sabha polls are an opportunity to destroy the dictatorship,” he added.

Thackeray, in the manifesto, also vowed to stop the 'loot' of Maharashtra. He pledged to establish the financial centre in Mumbai, which he claimed was “moved to” Gujarat and vowed to prioritise job creation and employment opportunities for rural youth at the district level so that people from the state won’t have to migrate.

Through the INDIA government, Thackeray said, they will not only waive farm loans but also revise the conditions concerning crop insurance. He said agricultural equipment and seeds will be made free of GST (Goods and Services Tax). He also assured implementation of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) recommended by the Swaminathan Committee report.

Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) too unveiled its manifesto, which mentioned that the party advocates empowering state and local governments, reviewing power distribution and enforcing constitutional amendments.

The Sharad Pawar-led party said it favours caste census and promised scrapping of the Agnipath scheme. The party has supported full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir and rejects the idea of 'one nation, one election'. As per the manifesto, titled "Shapatnama", the NCP (SP) will review and propose changes to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Register for Citizens (NRC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other laws "conflicting" with the constitutional principles.

"We will demand a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations. We will ban contract labour in government sectors and legally protect the contract workers' benefits," Maharashtra NCP (SP) president Jayant Patil said.