Delhi Assembly Elections 2025 | Congress releases manifesto, promises caste census if elected

New Delhi: In what it believes will hurt Arvind Kejriwal electorally in the Delhi Assembly elections, Congress on Wednesday released its manifesto, promising a stronger Lokpal Bill in the capital and a “full” investigation into liquor, Jal Board and health scams under the AAP.

Apart from reiterating its already announced five guarantees, the party also promised a Caste Census in Delhi, increasing the OBC creamy layer to Rs 12 lakh, a new Delhi Education Policy, reserving 33 per cent government jobs for women and a free yatra for Dalits to Sarnath, Bodh Gaya and Mhow among others.

A separate Ministry for Purvanchalis, who belong to eastern Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and presently living in the capital, implementation of all recommendations of Mandal Commission and focus on Sachar Committee recommendations on Muslims are among other promises.

However, the party sent a message to its I.N.D.I.A. ally AAP by taking forward the attack by top leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi by mentioning Lokpal and liquor scam in its manifesto. It also referred to AAP’s alleged flaws in the education sector and the cleaning of the Yamuna river.

In a section titled ‘Corruption and Transparency’, the manifesto said Congress will pass a “much stronger Lokpal Bill” within six months of forming the government and would not give the Lieutenant Governor “any excuses to delay” its passage, which has “suited” both the AAP and BJP.

AAP had emerged in the capital’s political landscape by demanding the ‘Jan Lokpal Bill’ as its campaign plank following the ‘India Against Corruption’ movement. Congress had accused the AAP of not talking about Lokpal even as the Bill passed by the Delhi Assembly is pending with the Lieutenant Governor.

“We will ensure that contracting procedures are made transparent so that corruption like the liquor scam cannot recur. We will ensure a full investigation of the liquor scam, Delhi Jal Board Scam, Delhi Health Scam etc,” the manifesto said in a further attack on the AAP.

In other promises in the section, Congress also assured that illegal usage of basements is controlled to prevent tragedies like the drowning of civil service aspirants in Rajender Nagar from recurring besides a crackdown on corruption in private schools and colleges that is conducted via discretionary management, NRI and other quotas.

While Rahul attacked Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia over a liquor scam, Kharge had sought an apology from AAP for the desecration of Ambedkar statue in Amritsar.

Responding to Rahul’s jibe that Kejriwal is scared of Modi and that he was staying in ‘Sheesh Mahal’, the AAP chief had retorted, “Modi-ji puts people in jail even by making fake cases like liquor scam. Why haven't you and your family been arrested in open-and-shut cases like the National Herald? How did Robert Vadra get a clean chit from the BJP? It is better if you don't preach on fear and bravery. The country knows who is a coward and who is brave.”

“Today Rahul-ji repeated the entire speech of the BJP in Delhi. Tell the public what agreement has been reached between the BJP and Congress?” Kejriwal added.

Delhi Assembly Election 2025 | The first of two state assembly polls this year sees a three-way contest between AAP, Congress, and BJP in the nation's capital. AAP decided to contest the polls alone, causing rumours of a rift in I.N.D.I.A. BJP, meanwhile, is hoping the liquor excise policy scam and pollution in Delhi will give the saffron party an edge over AAP. Kejriwal, on the other hand, has different plans with his demand for reservations for Delhi Jats. Congress will also be looking to make its presence felt and has not held back from attacking its own alliance partner. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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