Congress manifesto focuses on jobs, quota, youth, women; BJP says "bundle of false claims"

New Delhi [India], April 5 : Congress on Friday released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, announcing various poll promises to woo women, youth, farmers, SCs, STs and OBCs in the country, however, the Bharatiya Janata Party called it "bundle of false claims".
Congress, in its manifesto, said that it will conduct a nation-wide socio-economic and caste census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions.
On the occasion, Congress leader P Chidambaram said, "The Congress guarantees are concrete guarantees. We have spelled out in English and Hindi and in due course, in different languages, what each guarantee means and what each guarantee will deliver to the people. Mr. Modi's guarantees are only in order to ensure that he guarantees the third term job. Where is the guarantee? What happened to the guarantee of 2 crore jobs?"
"What happened to the guarantee of 15 lakh in the account of every Indian? What happened to the guarantee of doubling farmers income? What happened to the guarantee of raising India's GDP to 5 trillion? I can often narrate at least 50 such promises of Mr. Modi's promises are empty promises, our 25 guarantees are concrete guarantees," he added.
The party also guaranteed that it would pass a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SC, ST and OBC.
According to the manifesto, the party said that the Rajasthan model of cashless insurance up to Rs 25 lakhs will be adopted for universal healthcare.
On the occasion, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that it is important to understand that this election is a fundamentally different one.
"We do believe that it is very important once this fight is won that we look after the interests of the vast majority of our people that India is not run by two or three large conglomerates, large businesses, that it is run, by the vast majority of people that we are not a nation of monopolies," Rahul Gandhi said.
"We are a nation where there is fair competition among businesses. So, I think, it's important to understand that this election is a fundamentally different election. I don't think democracy has been as much as at risk. The Constitution has been as much as at risk as it is today," he added.
For youth, the Congress guarantees a new Right to Apprenticeship Act to provide a one year apprenticeship with a private or public sector company to every diploma holder or college graduate below the age of 25. Apprentices will get Rs 1 lakh a year. The apprenticeship will impart skills, enhance employability and provide full-time job opportunities for millions of youth.
Congress also promised to abolish application fees for government examinations and government posts.
The party also launched a Mahalakshmi scheme to provide Rs 1 lakh per year to every poor Indian family as an unconditional cash transfer. The party promised to reserve 50 per cent of central government jobs for women starting in 2025.
Congress will give a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) announced by the government every year, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission. The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) will be made a statutory body, the manifesto read.
Congress said that it will scrap the Agnipath Scheme and return to the normal recruitment processes followed by the Army, Navy and Air Force that will guarantee economic and social security for our soldiers
On a question about Anti- Defection Law, P Chidambaram said, "You are asking about the anti-defection law which is now in the 10th Schedule. Over the years political parties, especially defectors have exposed the limitations of the 10th Schedule. So, 10th Schedule has to be amended. The 10th Schedule is to be amended. Our position is that moment defection takes place, it should be instantly disqualified."
On the Congress manifesto, Nizamabad BJP MP Arvind Dharmapuri said, "The Congress government, which formed a government on false promises, came to power here with a small majority by cheating the farmers. In the last four months, not even a single implementation has been done. Today, Mallikarjun Kharge released the manifesto nationally. We are laughing after seeing what is in it for the farmers. We are laughing... Today, Modi's guarantee is stronger than the law's guarantee. PM Modi increased the MSP by almost a thousand rupees in just 10 years, whatever you did in 65 years?"
On the Congress manifesto, JDU leader KC Tyagi said, "Offering such temptations at the time of elections for those classes and groups for whom no work could be done in the last 75 years is an election gimmick."
Meanwhile, senior advocate and Congress leader Salman Khurshid said, "Do they know what a lie is? If they want to know about it, they should focus on what they say. Such a good manifesto has not been presented for years...Major changes will happen in the country."
After the Congress party released its 'Nyay Patra' for the Lok Sabha elections, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Friday congratulated the grand old party and called it a "good manifesto".
Speaking to reporters, Farooq Abdullah said, "Congratulations to them. I hope such things are implemented. It is a good manifesto."
On Congress' manifesto, the BJP's candidate from Hyderabad, Madhavi Latha, said, "During the 2023 assembly elections, they also released a manifesto. They could not fulfil those promises. They tried to fulfil one or two promises. If the homework is pending, people will not trust them."
On Congress' manifesto, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai said, "Do you all think that Congress will form a government? In the 2018 assembly elections (Chhattisgarh), they made 36 promises and got a chance to run the government for five straight years. Did they fulfil any of them? They didn't. The Congress party has completely lost the faith of the people. The party is a sinking ship."
Former Lok Sabha speaker and Congress leader Meira Kumar says, "It will have a big impact as we have delivered the promises that we have made earlier and will do this time as well. But, BJP has forgotten what promises they've made."
After Congress released its election manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls, BJP leader Rajendra Rathore took a jibe at the Congress, saying that its party leaders are talking about imaginary things and adding that the Congress has not even fielded a sufficient number of candidates required for the formation of the government at the Centre.
"Congress is talking about imaginary things; they have not even fielded a sufficient number of candidates. Even if all of them win, they would not be able to form their government; they know that they should not form the government," he said.
Presiding over the release of the party's 'Nyay Patra' or manifesto for the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said just like billionaire tycoon Gautam Adani, who holds a "monopoly in ports and infrastructure", Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a "monopoly in political finance" by using central investigating agencies.
Speaking at a press conference after the unveiling of the Congress's manifesto on Friday, Rahul said, "We need to understand where this strategy of the RSS, BJP and PM Modi comes from. In the same way Adani has a monopoly in ports, infrastructure and defence, PM Modi, too, has a monopoly in political finance by using central agencies such as ED, CBI and Income Tax."