Manjhi promises separate SC, ST seats in HAM(S) manifesto

Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday released the manifesto of his party -- the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) -- for the Lok Sabha polls, promising separate constituencies for SCs and STs, if the opposition grand alliance is voted to power.

Manjhi said all the voters and contestants would be from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories only, in such constituencies.

The HAM(S) chief also assured reservation to people belonging to these two categories for appointment as judges in high courts and the Supreme Court, besides introducing a common schooling system and providing free electricity to farmers having land up to five acres.

The manifesto further said that loans would be waived for farmers having land up to 10 acres.

"If our alliance or the party supported by us comes to power at the Centre, we will take initiative for preparing separate/double voters list for people belonging to SC and ST category, thereby creating a separate constituency where only they can be enrolled as voters and could become candidates.

"If this happens, then people's representatives elected from the reserved constituencies are not going to be intimidated or pressurised by influential groups and communities, and can work freely for the development of SCs and STs," Manjhi told reporters.

The area of the each reserved constituency could be big enough to comprise three-four districts, he said.

Manjhi also pitched for publication of the 2011 Caste Census, suggesting that ceiling of reservation be increased up to 95 per cent to accommodate each and every caste in proportion to their population.

The former Bihar CM promised to implement reservation in the private sector, too.

The voters' list should be linked with Aadhaar in order to reduce the practise of one voter registering from several places, he said, while advocating postal ballot facility for labourers working outside their native places.