Congress aims for a Karnataka-style comeback in Maharashtra with "five guarantees" and a caste census twist

The Congress party is considering adopting its "five guarantees" strategy from Karnataka for the upcoming elections in Maharashtra. They are planning to introduce an additional promise of a caste census aimed at addressing various quota issues in the state without altering any community's existing share, reported The Times of India quoting sources.

The proposed populist measures include monthly cash payments to women who head households, free bus travel for women, 10 kg of free food grains for families, free electricity up to 200 units, and unemployment allowances.

Sources told TOI that Congress leaders are discussing the Karnataka guarantees for their Maharashtra manifesto, with possible modifications. The party aims to build on its success in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections using this populist approach.


The urgency for these populist promises seems to stem from the recent measures taken by the BJP-supported Eknath Shinde government, which introduced schemes like the "Ladki-Bahin Yojana." This scheme offers women aged 21-65 years a monthly amount of Rs 1,500. Congress likely plans to offer an increased cash amount.

Congress first used this "guarantee-based approach" in the 2022 Himachal Pradesh elections, resulting in their first victory since December 2018. They then implemented "five guarantees" in Karnataka's elections in May 2023, where they secured a significant win against the BJP. A similar promise strategy was proposed for Telangana in December 2023.