Amidst the upheaval surrounding the Congress manifesto for the parliamentary elections, charges have been flying between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, with the former likening it to the Muslim League's 1936 manifesto, and Congress retorting with references to Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee's governance alongside the League. Here are the promises of the Congress manifesto aimed specifically at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ‘GYAN’ formula - 'Garib' (poor), 'Yuva' (youth), 'Annadata' (farmer), and 'Nari' (women).
Promises for the 'G' - the Impoverished
Upon gaining power, Congress vows to increase the pension for the elderly, widows, and the differently-abled to at least one thousand rupees per month. It is also pledged to reinstate the concessions for senior citizens in train travel, a facility that was suspended during the COVID times. With these promises, Congress aims to win the support of senior citizens and disabled voters.
Furthermore, the party promises to conduct a socio-economic caste census to improve conditions based on its outcomes. It intends to remove the 50% cap on reservations and include every category under the EWS reservation, provide land to the landless, and fill vacant reserved positions. These promises are targeted towards courting the OBC, SC-ST communities, who are also typically the most economically disadvantaged.
Promises for the 'Y' - the Youth
Congress intends to abolish the Agniveer scheme for army recruitment upon assuming power. The party also commits to filling up 30 lakh vacant governmental positions, issuing a recruitment calendar, eliminating application fees for government jobs, and implementing a one-year paid apprenticeship for every diploma holder or college graduate. Moreover, the party has made a bold promise to write off education loans, including interest, by the 15th of March 2024, and to set up a 5000-crore-rupee fund to foster start-ups.
Capitalizing on the youth's dissatisfaction with unemployment and the Agniveer scheme, the party is playing its cards to convert this discontent into votes. Recently, the Minister of Defence, Rajnath Singh, suggested the government's openness to revisions in the Agniveer scheme. In the election season, this statement was interpreted as a strategy to keep the youth in the fold, and now Congress has pledged to abolish the scheme altogether. The 2019 general election statistics from CSDS showed that 41% of the youth voted for BJP.
Promises for the 'A' - Agriculturists/Farmers
In its manifesto, Congress addresses the farmers' agitation against the new agricultural laws, promising a legal guarantee for MSP in line with Swaminathan Committee's recommendations. It assures the establishment of a permanent commission on agricultural financing, which would periodically report on credit limits and loan relief. The party also promises to start retail markets for farmers in large villages and small towns, responding to recent farmer protests demanding a law for MSP. Rahul Gandhi had assured that, upon Congress's victory, a law concerning MSP would be enacted.
Promises for the 'N' - Women
Congress promises to launch the Mahalakshmi scheme, providing one lakh rupees annually to the female head of every impoverished household. The party also commits to making necessary changes to the law related to 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to facilitate this reservation beginning with the 2025 assembly elections. Behind this cash benefit promise lies a strategy to counter Modi government’s schemes aimed at women and to penetrate BJP's silent vote bank.
