The Congress party is likely to launch its crowd-sourced manifesto for the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been outlining the party’s agenda at election rallies and many of these are expected to be part of the manifesto including the much-hyped minimum income scheme.
The party had reached out to the masses last year to seek inputs for the manifesto. The Congress had also used social media and other online media for the outreach. Former Union minister P Chidambaram was in charge of the party’s manifesto committee.
Here are some of the likely issues that the Congress manifesto could focus on:
1. NYAY, the minimum guarantee scheme for BPL families, which Rahul Gandhi had unveiled last week.
2. 33% reservation for women in Parliament, state assemblies and government jobs.
3. A restructured Planning Commission to replace the government think tank Niti Ayog
4. A universal health care scheme and steps for jobs creation and farm loan waivers
5. The right to job may also be one of the prominent features of the manifesto after the Congress chief tweeted about 22 lakhs government jobs being vacant.
6. Likely changes to the anti-defection law to ensure automatic disqualification of lawmakers in case they switch parties.
7. Martyr status for central paramilitary forces personnel killed in action.
8. Reforming Goods and Services Tax (GST) and liberalise loan dispersal process to address agrarian distress.
9. Abolishing Angel Tax which refers to refers to the income tax unlisted companies pay on capital raised by issuing shares.
10. Agriculture and education councils on the lines of the GST Council
11. Increasing budget for universities and higher education besides free education until class 12
12. A national security doctrine based on the recommendations of Lt General (Retd) DS Hooda.
13. Directly elected Mayors with 5-year terms and elected councils to improve quality of life in cities