New Delhii
The Congress party has promised to pass a constitutional amendment to raise the Supreme Court mandated 50 per cent cap on reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC), in its poll manifesto released on Friday.
In its manifesto released in the presence of senior Congress leaders at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters here, the party also promised to conduct a nation-wide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions.
To put a curb on rampant defections, the Congress has promised to amend the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution and make defection (leaving the original party on which the MLA or MP was elected) an automatic disqualification of the membership in the Assembly or Parliament.
The Congress has also promised to implement reservation of 10 per cent in jobs and educational institutions for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) for all castes and communities without
discrimination.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other leaders were seen unveiling the party manifesto titled Nyay Patra.
The party's election manifesto focuses on 'Paanch Nyay' or five pillars of justice, including 'Yuva Nyay', 'Naari Nyay', 'Kisaan Nyay', 'Shramik Nyay' and 'Hissedari Nyay' as well as the guarantees made by it to the people as part of its poll promises for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress manifesto was compiled after carrying out nationwide consultations and after receiving thousands of suggestions via email and our 'Awaaz Bharat Ki' website, as per the party.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) met in March and 'deliberated' thoroughly on the party's manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and other Congress leaders were present at the meeting.
"The Committee successfully ensured public participation in this exercise, rather than merely confining it to an academic one. It held extensive consultations in different parts of the country and submitted a draft to me on March 6, 2024," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
He said that suggestions and comments were also solicited through an online website which was rightly called "Awaaz Bharat Ki".
"Whatever has been promised in Manifesto will be strictly implemented. Before making promises in the Manifesto, in-depth deliberation has been made to ensure that these promises are implementable," Kharge said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on March 30, announced a 27-member committee, which included several Union ministers and chief ministers, headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to prepare its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 would be held in seven phases starting on April 19 and ending on June 1. The results will be declared on June 4.
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