With NYAY as the central idea, Congress president Rahul Gandhi released a back-to-basic, pro-poor manifesto, emphasising that it will change the “divisive” narrative propagated by the BJP
With NYAY as the central idea, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday released a back-to-basic, pro-poor manifesto, just a week before India goes to polls on April 11 (first phase), emphasising that the manifesto will change or alter the “divisive” narrative propagated by the BJP.
Releasing the 54-page manifesto titled “Congress will deliver,” the Congress president said, “BJP has been trying to shift the narrative as it failed on most of its promises but Congress will deliver what it promised in its manifesto.”
“We have been hearing a lot of lies. The manifesto should reflect the wishes of the people and it should be truthful,” asserted Rahul Gandhi.
Saying that Congress didn’t promise what it could not deliver, the Congress President said, “We will expose the lies that Prime Minister Modi has been saying and will work towards uniting the nation.”
Congress will reap the political dividends from the pro-poor, progressive manifesto, commented a political analyst in a TV debate.
“Whenever in the past, Congress went to the election with a pro-poor, socialist agenda, it paid political dividends and Congress recorded victory with huge margin,” said a senior journalist, recalling 1971 election in which former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi coined the “Gareebi Hatao” slogan.
“The election proved to be a watershed moment in the post-independence history of India. Poor has become the talking point or centre stage of the politics. Rahul is trying to invoke the same idea and impression what his grandmother did in 1971 after the division of the party.”
Another Congress watcher said, “Whenever Congress plunges into a crisis, it goes back to the basics and to the poor. Poor which constitutes over 20% of the total population also trust the grand old party.”
“Congress won 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections consequently because of the pro-poor policies such as MGNREGA and Right to Food, etc. Socialist agenda forms the core of the Congress’ political ideology. With emphasis on schemes such as NYAY Rahul Gandhi as set the pro-poor, socialist agenda for 2019 Lok Sabha election,” say political commentators.
When asked how the Congress will counter the narrative of the divisive and communal agenda propagated by the BJP, Rahul Gandhi replied with optimism that “the agenda before the nation is 1) unemployment 2) distress in farming sector and 3) women’s security.”
He also said that his party will start a separate farmer’s budget in the line of separate Railway budget, if voted to power.
“Farmers who default on loans would not be sent to jail as it will not be a criminal but civil offence,” said Rahul Gandhi, amid a round of applause.
Rahul Gandhi, like a very far-sighted and true politician, has zeroed in on three of the most important sectors – poor, farmers and unemployed youths in the manifesto. In all these sectors, resentment against the Modi government is very high, said a Congress watcher, adding that haphazard reactions from the BJP over NYAY shows that Rahul Gandhi’s pro-poor, back to basic manifesto will work.
A nervous BJP dubbed the election manifesto as “dangerous and unimplementable”.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Union Finance Minister and senior party leader Arun Jaitley said the Congress does not deserve “even a single vote” for its promises, such as doing away with sedition law.
source: NH
