Congress manifesto for OROP, reforming GST, law against misuse of agencies

The upcoming Congress manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections will make many promises, including a vow to revive the One-Rank-One-Pension policy across the country, "reforming" GST by rationalising/ restructuring the tax slabs, law against the misuse of central investigating agencies, special punitive provisions against hate-speech/ crimes, the Congress Working Committee meeting was told on Tuesday.

The other promises in the Congress manifesto, to be presented as a 'nyay patra', include what the party has been demanding -- full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, special status to Ladakh, scrapping of Agniveer scheme, fulfilling the pending Sachar committee proposals and reinforcing cooperative federalism.

It will also promise better management of the economy, ensuring social harmony, and reinforcing national security on the borders, especially with China.


These and some more promises are in addition to the five sets, totalling 25, Congress guarantees for 'nyay' (justice) -- 'Bhagidari Nyay', 'Kisan Nyay', 'Nari Nyay', 'Shramik Nyay' and 'Yuva'Nyay' -- that the party has already announced during the course of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. These declared 25 guarantees include promises of job creation, guaranteed MRP, increasing reservation and conducting caste census.

The 50-odd page manifesto, billed as a 'Nyay Patra', will also present a sector-wise critique of the Modi government's performance, projecting how the previous Congress governments had performed better in comparison.

It will also detail the 'false promises' the BJP had made pre-poll. While the chairman of the Congress manifesto committee P Chidambaram briefed the CWC about the manifesto, the meeting authorised party president Mallikarjun Kharge to release it soon after last-minute formalities even as he stressed for a party mobilisation for a campaign to take the manifesto promises and guarantees to every household.

In his address to the CWC, Kharge said the nation is craving a change and claimed the Modi regime was facing the BJP's fate of the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

"The country is fervently demanding a change. The guarantees currently being touted by the present Modi government would have the same fate as that of the 'India Shining' slogan of 2004," he said in his address at the CWC meet. Kharge also hailed Rahul Gandhi for his two yatras. "These were not just political yatras but will be noted for the largest mass contact movement in our political history," he said.

CWC MEET

The Congress Central Election Committee has been holding a meeting till late Tuesday evening to finalise the party candidates for Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, HP, Puducherry and Chandigarh.