Congress’s manifesto to focus on ‘Paanch Nyay’, ‘Pachees Guarantee’

NEW DELHI: The Congress said its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls would focus on “Paanch Nyay” and “Pachees Guarantee”, as the party on Tuesday resolved to take its promises to the people with a “ghar ghar guarantee” mantra. It claimed the BJP’s ‘guarantees’ would meet the same fate as the ‘India Shining’ slogan of 2004.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s top decision-making body, discussed the manifesto for Lok Sabha polls for over three hours and decided to reach out to every household with its five “Nyay” guarantees for the youth, women, workers, farmers and the marginalised sections.

Sources in the party said the manifesto also includes the promise of implementing the old pension scheme (OPS) across the country and a law to ensure the independence of constitutional institutions and stop “misuse” of agencies.

“These five guarantees are going to be a game-changer in this election,” party leader K C Venugopal said.

“The CWC has prepared a roadmap for taking the party’s guarantees to the grassroots, highlighting the issues concerning the youth, poor, women, workers and farmers,” he said and derided BJP’s “guarantees” as “jumlas” (rhetoric) and a “bunch of lies”.

In his address at the meeting, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge asserted whatever has been promised in the manifesto, will be strictly implemented.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh said the CWC has authorised Kharge to give final approval to the party’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls and decide a date for its release.

Venugopal said the Congress party is fully prepared for Lok Sabha polls and will launch a massive campaign “to take its guarantees to every household across the country in the next few days”.

Kharge and former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi attended the meeting. Other senior leaders, including Ambika Soni, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, P Chidambaram, Digvijaya Singh, Ajay Maken and Kumari Selja, were also present at the crucial meeting, where Chidambaram read out the key elements of the draft party manifesto.

Chidambaram chairs the manifesto committee of the party, which has already presented a copy of the draft document to the CWC for its nod.

The party is fighting the elections on the issue of ‘five nyay’ (justices) — ‘Bhagidari Nyay’, ‘Kisan Nyay’, ‘Nari Nyay’, ‘Shramik Nyay’ and ‘Yuva Nyay’ — giving 25 guarantees, five under each category, that have been announced by the Congress president and Rahul Gandhi

Under the “Yuva Nyay”, the party has promised “Bharti Bharosa” — 30 lakh new central government jobs, according to a jobs calendar. Under the “Pehli Naukri Pakki”, the Congress has promised a one-year paid apprenticeship for all educated youths at Rs 1 lakh a year or Rs 8,500 a month.

The party has promised a law to ensure government recruitment examination question papers are not leaked and also better working conditions and social security for gig workers.

Under its “Yuva Roshni” guarantee, the party has promised a Rs 5,000-crore start-up fund for the youth.

As part of the “Nari Nyay”, the Congress has promised the “Mahalakshmi” guarantee of Rs 1 lakh a year for one woman in every poor family.

The party has also promised 50 per cent reservation for women in new central government jobs and double salary contribution of the Centre for all ASHA, anganwadi, and mid-day meal workers.

It has also promised “Adhikar Maitri” in every village to ensure women get their legal rights. The party has also promised to double the number of hostels for working women.

Under “Kisaan Nyay”, the Congress has promised a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) for crops at the Swaminathan formula, and a standing loan waiver commission for farmers, if it comes to power.

It has also guaranteed insurance payment within 30 days of crop loss and a stable import-export policy to benefit farmers. The party has also promised no GST on inputs for farming.

As part of its “Shramik Nyay” guarantees, the Congress has promised a right to health law that provides universal healthcare, including free essential diagnostics, medicines, treatment, surgery, and rehabilitative and palliative care

It has also promised a national minimum wage of Rs 400 a day, including all MGNREGA workers.

The Congress has also promised an employment guarantee act for urban areas, life insurance and accident insurance for unorganised workers and stopping contractualisation of employment in core government functions.

Under its “Hissedari Nyay”, the party has promised social, economic and caste census. It has also promised removing the 50 per cent cap on SC, ST and OBC reservation through a constitutional amendment and a special budget for SC and ST equal to the share of their population.

If it comes to power, the Congress has also vowed to settle Forest Rights Act claims in one year and promised that all habitations where STs are the most populous group will be notified scheduled areas.