Lok Sabha polls: Congress manifesto likely to cover 5 'Nyays'; law against misuse of special agencies, statehood for Kashmir among other promises

New Delhi: The Congress manifesto will be called ‘Nyay Patra’, whose primary thrust will be on five ‘nyays’ announced during Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and will include promises to legally end the “misuse” of central laws, amend or scrap “anti-people” provisions in laws like the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.

Sources said there is a strong pitch for measures to strengthen federalism and empower states. There is a detailed section in the draft manifesto that speaks about the laws to be amended and the steps to be taken to end the misuse of central agencies. Laws related to environment and forest rights, among others, may see amendments if the Opposition comes to power.

The party is working on taking the promises to all households – ‘Ghar, Ghar Guarantee’ (message of guarantees will reach every home).

The manifesto, the draft of which was discussed at the Congress Working Committee meeting here on Tuesday, may also have a promise on full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir and special status for Ladakh. The CWC has authorised party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to give final approval to the manifesto and decide a date for its release.

The manifesto will also have promises on removing the 50 per cent cap on reservation, caste census, special budget for SCs and STs, legal guarantee for minimum support price, filling 30 lakh vacancies in union government and Rs one lakh per year to women among others, as parts of ‘Hissedari Nyay’, ‘Yuva Nyay’, ‘Kisaan Nyay’, ‘Naari Nyay and ‘Shramik Nyay’.

Sources said manifesto committee head former Finance Minister P Chidambaram briefed the CWC about the content of the draft manifesto and has asked them to give more inputs, which could be of use to improve the document.

Addressing a press conference after the three-and-half-hour long meeting, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said the CWC has prepared a roadmap for taking the party's guarantees to the grassroots.

Party General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said the Congress will release not just a ‘ghoshna patra’ (manifesto) but a ‘nyay patra’ so that people see a bright future.

Asked about the BJP highlighting ‘Modi guarantees’, Venugopal retorted, “where are the two crore jobs per year promises? Where is the promised Rs 15 lakh? His guarantees are lies.” He said the guarantees promised in Karnataka and Telangana were implemented by the Congress governments in these states.

Congress is already upbeat about the Modi government responding to one of its guarantees, which will find space in the ‘Nyay Patra’ that talks about making apprenticeship an enforceable right. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship last week sent notices to around 1.8 lakh companies, asking them to hire the mandated number of apprentices.

The manifesto's focus on 'nyay' was fine-tuned during Rahul Gandhi's nearly two-month yatra from Manipur's Thoubal to Mumbai.

During this period, the party unveiled the five ‘nyays’ and 25 guarantees that crystalised over discussions spanning months. “The yatra provided the structure to conceive the five ‘nyays’ and it also gave an opportunity to communicate this,” Ramesh said.

The party had even tweaked the name of the yatra to include the word ‘nyay’, as its top leader Rahul Gandhi pushed the social justice agenda forcefully with the support of Kharge.

During the yatra, 'Kisan Nyay', including legal guarantee for MSP, was unveiled in Chhattisgarh's Ambikapur, 'Hissedari Nyay' (share in governance) in Ranchi, 'Yuva Nyay', including a mandatory apprenticeship and some income to youth) in Banswara, 'Nari Nyay' in Maharashtra's Dhule and 'Shramik Nyay' for workers in Dharavi in Mumbai. It also released an 'Adivasi Sankalp' in Maharashtra's Nandurbar.