Congress will conduct caste census in state if voted to power, says Kharge in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said that the party will conduct a caste census in Madhya Pradesh after winning the Assembly polls in the state and also announced a number of freebies including Rs 1500 per month for women.Addressing a public rally in Sagar in MP's Bundelkhand region, Kharge said, "I promise that when Congress will come to power farmers will get debt relief. LPG will be available at Rs 500. Women will get Rs 1500 per month. For government workers old pension scheme... Till 100 units no electricity bill. We will also have a caste census in the state as well. Now, we have six backward-class people on our working committee...."Assembly polls are expected to be held in the BJP-ruled state at the end of the year.The Congress president criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of not doing anything for violence-hit Manipur.Referring to the laying of the foundation stone of a Rs 100 crore memorial-cum-temple of Sant Ravidas, a revered figure for Scheduled Castes, by PM Modi earlier this month, Kharge said they laid the foundation of Saint Ravidas temple in Sagar but demolished his in Delhi.He alleged that PM Modi remembered Saint Ravidas only during elections.As per the 2011 Census, the population of Dalits in MP was 1.13 crore.Bundelkhand, in north east MP, has six Assembly seats reserved for SCs, and the BJP had won five of them in the 2018 state polls, namely Bina, Naryoli, Jatara, Chandala and Hatta, while the Congress managed to get Gunnor.Bundelkhand comprises Sagar, Chattarpur, Tikamgarh, Nimari, Damoh and Panna districts, with 26 Assembly seats, of which 15 were won by the BJP in the last state polls, while the Congress got nine and and one each was won by Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.Terming the state government as an illegal regime, Kharge accused the BJP of stealing their MLAs."This (MP government) is an illegal government. They (BJP) stole our MLAs. On the other side, they say that they have built a government on their principles... They always ask what Congress has done in 70 years. We saved the Constitution that's why he became the Prime Minister... By showing ED's fear to people you built your government. A similar thing happened in Karnataka and Manipur. They (BJP) do this everywhere they aren't elected," said the Congress chief.In an indirect dig at the BJP-led Centre, he said that few people are trying to change the constitution, but this can't happen."There are 140 crore of people alive to protect it."With inputs from agencies