Cong unveils manifesto for Gujarat elections

Ahmedabad: The opposition Congress on Saturday said it would restore the name of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera area of Ahmedabad as Sardar Patel Stadium if voted to power in upcoming Gujarat elections.

In its poll manifesto, the Congress also said it would revoke the remission granted by the state government to 11 convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano case allowing their premature release from jail.

The manifesto was released by Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress' senior observer for Gujarat polls Ashok Gehlot here at the party headquarters.

"Today, some activists from Karamsad town (the native place of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel), gave us a memorandum demanding that the stadium be renamed Sardar Patel Stadium which was its original name. We promise the stadium will be renamed as Sardar Patel Stadium in the first Cabinet meeting of our government," said Congress manifesto committee chairman Dipak Babaria.

The Congress also promised ten lakh jobs in government and semi-government departments, free medical treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh, LPG cylinders at Rs 500 and 300 units of free electricity every month.

The party, which has been out of power in Gujarat for more than two decades, also promised unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 per month, Rs 2,000 pension to divyangs, widows, senior citizens and needy women, and waiver of loans of up to Rs 3 lakh of all fishermen, among other things.