From left to right, Congress party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and Congress party President Sonia Gandhi release party manifesto ahead of the general elections, in New Delhi, on Wednesday, March 26. India will hold national elections from April 7 to May 12, kicking off a vote that many observers see as the most important election in more than 30 years in the world’s largest democracy. (AP Photo)
NEW Delhi, March 26 (AP): India’s struggling Congress party appealed to its main constituency of poor voters in an election manifesto unveiled Wednesday that promises new jobs and more funding for education and health care. Polls indicate a drubbing is in store for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government in next month’s elections. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has not released its election manifesto but is campaigning that it wants to wipe out corruption it says is embodied by Congress.
In reverting to its traditional support base, Congress vowed to create 100 million new jobs, set up new universities and take immediate steps to contain inflation. Party leaders also promised more funds for education, health care and agriculture if the party was voted back into power. India’s 814 million eligible voters head to the polls starting April 7.
Party leader Rahul Gandhi, scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family that has ruled India for decades, told a crowded news conference that the Congress is determined to protect India’s secular character — a clear jab at the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which is led by Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi.
The beleaguered Congress party-led government has been facing public anger over allegations of corruption, including a poorly run sale of cellphone rights and a misallocation of coal fields that auditors said lost the country billions of dollars. The corruption scandals have added to people’s perception that the government had failed to push through the much-needed economic reforms to revive a slowing economy.
Singh said the Congress was committed to improve the delivery of services without it leaking out through graft. “In a developing economy, corruption cannot be wished away. But every effort has to be made to overcome the tendencies that give rise to corruption,” Singh said.
Singh’s government had reaped the benefits of 9 percent growth during its first term in office until 2009. But the economy was hit by the 2008 global crisis and growth plunged to around 4.5 percent, which added to the government’s woes.
Despite the slow growth figures, Singh said that over the past decade his government had succeeded in pulling more than 140 million people out of poverty.
“The rate of poverty decline has tripled as compared to the preceding decade,” Singh told reporters.
The party also announced a raft of new welfare measures including a pension scheme and new housing plans for the underprivileged.
With Modi crisscrossing the country holding election rallies where he rips into the Congress party’s failures, the Congress has fallen back on its traditional supporters.
Modi, the chief minister of Gujarat state, is accused of doing little to stop anti-Muslim riots in the state in 2002 which left more than 1,000 dead. While he was never charged with a crime, Modi’s critics say he did little to stop the three months of rioting.
Modi has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the violence, but has never expressed remorse or offered an apology.
With Modi surging ahead in opinion polls, Congress leaders hit out at the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate describing his agenda as one that would marginalize the poor and powerless.
Modi’s ideology is one that “makes people fight with each other,” Gandhi said. “It will damage the country.” “Every Congressman will fight to defeat that ideology,” he vowed.
Cong Manifesto: Salient features
* Spells out 15-point agenda for India’s socio-economic and political transformation.
* Two-thirds of India’s population to be lifted to middle class bracket through a package of basic rights for all workers.
* Congress to focus on fiscal consolidation, price stability and growth.
* Foreign Direct Investment to be encouraged, especially in labour intensive sectors.
* Congress to appoint a special envoy on black money.
* 10 percent growth rate in the manufacturing sector to be ensured with a special emphasis on small and medium enterprises.
* The Goods and Services Tax Bills and a new Direct Tax Code Bill to be introduced in parliament and enacted within one year.
* Congress to ensure that risk of retroactive taxation is avoided.
* One trillion dollars to be invested over the next decade on upgrading India’s power, transport and other development infrastructure.
* Congress to ensure a bank account for every Indian within five years; easy loans up to Rs.1 lakh for women for livelihood activities to be made available.
* All towns and Gram Panchayats to be connected with high-speed broadband connectivity within 18 months.
* Skills training to be provided to 10 crore youth who will be then employed over the next 5 years. National Youth Policy aiming at developing leadership skill amongst youth to be envisaged.
* Focus to be shifted from ‘sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan’ to ‘Shreshtha Shiksha Abhiyaan’. Universal enrolment in secondary education also planned.
* The Communal Violence Bill remains an important commitment for the protection of minorities.
* Every single recommendation of Sachar Committee to be reviewed and efforts made for their implementation.
* Focus on women empowerment and fight for their security, self-respect and dignity, and equality. A Citizen’s Charter for Women’s security and safety to be envisaged.
* Fast track courts will be established with in-camera proceedings facilities in state headquarters and in regional centres.
* Legal protection and resource allocation for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to be enhanced.
* Passage of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2013, to be ensured.
* Legal and institutional framework to be strengthened to protect children; working conditions of Aanganwadi and related workers to be improved.
* Governance reform to be accelerated including legal, judicial and electoral reform. Immediate passage of the Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill to be ensured.
* Modernisation of defence forces by procuring the finest and most state-of-the-art equipment.
* Impetus on agriculture productivity by nurturing Public Private Partnerships.
* Two-thirds of India’s population to be lifted to middle class bracket through a package of basic rights for all workers.
* Congress to focus on fiscal consolidation, price stability and growth.
* Foreign Direct Investment to be encouraged, especially in labour intensive sectors.
* Congress to appoint a special envoy on black money.
* 10 percent growth rate in the manufacturing sector to be ensured with a special emphasis on small and medium enterprises.
* The Goods and Services Tax Bills and a new Direct Tax Code Bill to be introduced in parliament and enacted within one year.
* Congress to ensure that risk of retroactive taxation is avoided.
* One trillion dollars to be invested over the next decade on upgrading India’s power, transport and other development infrastructure.
* Congress to ensure a bank account for every Indian within five years; easy loans up to Rs.1 lakh for women for livelihood activities to be made available.
* All towns and Gram Panchayats to be connected with high-speed broadband connectivity within 18 months.
* Skills training to be provided to 10 crore youth who will be then employed over the next 5 years. National Youth Policy aiming at developing leadership skill amongst youth to be envisaged.
* Focus to be shifted from ‘sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan’ to ‘Shreshtha Shiksha Abhiyaan’. Universal enrolment in secondary education also planned.
* The Communal Violence Bill remains an important commitment for the protection of minorities.
* Every single recommendation of Sachar Committee to be reviewed and efforts made for their implementation.
* Focus on women empowerment and fight for their security, self-respect and dignity, and equality. A Citizen’s Charter for Women’s security and safety to be envisaged.
* Fast track courts will be established with in-camera proceedings facilities in state headquarters and in regional centres.
* Legal protection and resource allocation for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to be enhanced.
* Passage of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2013, to be ensured.
* Legal and institutional framework to be strengthened to protect children; working conditions of Aanganwadi and related workers to be improved.
* Governance reform to be accelerated including legal, judicial and electoral reform. Immediate passage of the Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill to be ensured.
* Modernisation of defence forces by procuring the finest and most state-of-the-art equipment.
* Impetus on agriculture productivity by nurturing Public Private Partnerships.