n Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday unveiled the party’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, promising a caste-based census by 2025, a legal guarantee for MSP, and scrapping of the Agnipath scheme.

The manifesto — ‘Janta Ka Maang Patra - Humara Adhikar’ — was released at the SP headquarters here in the presence of senior party leaders. The 20-page document has called for a PDA government this time. PDA is an acronym for Pichde (backward classes), Dalit and Alpasankhyak (minorities) that was coined by Yadav. The SP is a constituent of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc.

Addressing a press conference here, Yadav said a caste-wise census would be conducted after the formation of the INDIA bloc government at the Centre to fill all the vacant government posts of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes by 2025. He said the Agnipath military recruitment scheme would be scrapped and regular recruitment in the armed forces would be introduced.

The party also promised to restore the old pension scheme, ensure the participation of all sections of society in the private sector and completely eliminate poverty by 2029.

The manifesto includes giving a legal guarantee of minimum support price to the farmers, waiving off agricultural loans of farmers, providing free irrigation facilities, and formation of a Farmers’ Commission. A promise has been made to provide a pension of Rs 5,000 per month to all landless small and marginal farmers.

Adopting a zero-tolerance policy towards crimes against women, along with a nationwide helpline, ensuring 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and Assemblies within two years of coming to power without waiting for delimitation, reserving 33 per cent government jobs for women were promised in the manifesto.