Rahul Gandhi to meet Scheduled Caste leaders tomorrow for inputs on Congress manifesto

NEW DELHI: Seeking to incorporate the hopes and aspirations of Dalits in the Congress manifesto for next general elections, Rahul Gandhi will tomorrow meet representatives of over 100 Scheduled Caste organisations and NGOs from all over the country.

"The entire exercise is to get an insight of what should go into our manifesto from people who are really working at the grassroot level. There are representatives from more than 100 organisations," Chairman of AICC SC department K Raju told PTI when asked about the exercise.

Unfazed by the poll debacle, Gandhi is seeking to reach out to diverse sections of the society to incorporate their views and demands in the party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls.

Congress has become the first major political party to launch a website seeking suggestions of the common people for the poll document.

The party's manifesto website says, "We invite every citizen of India to give us your ideas and suggestions for the 2014 Lok Sabha Election Manifesto of the Congress Party. The Congress is the first party to open up its national manifesto building process to the general public.

"In addition to this website, the Congress Party is holding direct public consultations across the country to empower the voice of those who do not have access to the Internet."

It also assures people that all the ideas and suggestions provided will be presented to the national leadership of Congress and duly considered for inclusion in the manifesto and it is their voice that will build the poll document.

In the second meeting of Congress' manifesto committee, headed by Union Minister A K Antony in October, Gandhi had told the leaders that suggestions from the people should be incorporated and there is a need to look at the issues seriously.