New Delhi: The Congress party’s manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls is expected to strongly reflect former party chief Rahul Gandhi’s social justice agenda, articulated through his ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The manifesto committee, led by former finance minister P Chidambaram, finalized the draft on March 5, and it will be presented to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge for approval at a Congress Working Committee meeting.
“I can’t speak about the draft, but it will surely reflect the ideas that the Congress is closely associated with and certainly bear the imprint of Rahul Gandhi’s social justice agenda with a heavy focus on the youth,” said manifesto committee member TS Singhdeo.
According to insiders, the manifesto is likely to promise a law ensuring transparency in government recruitment to tackle issues like exam paper leaks. Additionally, there may be a commitment to fill pending government vacancies in phases if the INDIA alliance is voted into power.
“Rahul Gandhi has been expressing concern over the high unemployment rate in the country, which is the biggest challenge for the government. Throughout the yatra, public feedback has shown that unemployment was the single biggest concern among the youth today,” said AICC secretary BM Sandeep Kumar.
Insiders suggest that the manifesto might include an unemployment allowance, providing direct money transfers to the bank accounts of jobless youth. Other key elements may involve conducting a fresh caste census to understand social distribution and promising a monthly allowance for women, a provision for cheap education loans, and canceling the Agniveer scheme in favor of implementing the One Rank One Pension scheme for ex-servicemen.
The manifesto is expected to address concerns of farmers with promises such as legal Minimum Support Price (MSP) and reduced Goods and Services Tax (GST) on essential farm equipment. To focus on rural jobs, the party may pledge increased funds for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Additionally, there could be provisions for cheap loans for small and medium businesses, emphasizing their role in job creation.
The document is anticipated to reflect the party’s commitment to social justice, youth welfare, and addressing key issues affecting various sections of society.