The Congress party will release its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on April 5. The manifesto will be released by the party president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi at AICC Headquarters in New Delhi.
A day after the launch of the manifesto, Kharge and Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will address public rallies in Jaipur and Hyderabad where they will also highlight the key elements of the manifesto.
‘Paanch Nyay’
The manifesto is expected to focus on ‘Paanch Nyays’ or five pillars of justice, including ‘Yuva Nyay’, ‘Naari Nyay’, ‘Kisaan Nyay’, ‘Shramik Nyay’ and ‘Hissedari Nyay’ announced during Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
Also Read: Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra isn’t a patch on its first version | 5 Points
The party has already unveiled ‘Kisan Nyay’, including legal guarantee for MSP, ‘Hissedari Nyay’ (share in governance), ‘Yuva Nyay’, including a mandatory apprenticeship and some income to youth), ‘Nari Nyay’ for women and ‘Shramik Nyay’ for workers.
‘Scrap PMLA, repeal CAA’
The Congress party is likely to promise scrapping of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in the manifesto. Interestingly, the ambit of PMLA, under which many opposition leaders have been booked and arrested, was widened under Congress-led UPA government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government strengthened it further through amendments in 2015 and 2019.
The Congress may also promise reservation benefits for OBCs in private higher educational institutions and private universities.
Among other promises, the manifesto is expected to feature a promise to withdraw laws including the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023, repeal the Citizenship (Amendment) Act,2019, the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act and the three laws which were enacted to replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc) and the Evidence Act.
‘No OPS’
The party is, however, expected to not include Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in its manifesto. Interestingly, the party had made a strong pitch for the scheme in the run up to 2023 assembly elections.
Also Read: Lok Sabha elections 2024: What are VVPAT slips & what is the INDIA bloc’s demand on this?
The Congress party’s demand of complete counting of Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) paper slips in elections is also expected to feature in its manifesto.
The party is, however, expected to promise the youths the ‘right to employment’ as part of its poll manifesto and a proposal for stringent punishment for those responsible for paper leaks in examinations.
Led by former Union Finance Minister, P Chidambaram, the Congress party’s manifesto committee submitted its draft to the party president in March. Former Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, TS Singh Deo, was the Convenor. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, Jairam Ramesh, Shashi Tharoor and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were other members of the panel.
Voting for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will begin on April 19. The elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases. The results will be announced on June 4.
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Published: 05 Apr 2024, 08:26 AM IST