Congress Unveils Manifesto 'Nyay Patra' for Lok Sabha Elections 2024

Taking up the lead, the Congress Party unveiled its manifesto on Friday ahead of Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Prominent leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal and P Chidambaram, amongst others, were present at the launch event held at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi.

With a broad focus on employment, welfare and prosperity, the party has titled its manifesto 'Nyay Patra'. Highlighting the importance of 'five pillars of justice', referred to as 'Paanch Nyay', which include 'Youth Justice', 'Gender Justice', 'Farmers' Justice', 'Worker Justice', and 'Partnership Justice', the Congress has emphasized that justice is the central theme of their manifesto and the same was reiterated by the senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram. In addition, he also pointed out the diminishing democracy under the BJP's rule and emphasized that the latest Congress manifesto is crafted to address the interests of all income groups in the nation.

Congress promises to guarantee minimum support prices (MSP), reserve 50% of government jobs for women, waive student loans and provide the right to employment for youth, amongst others in its manifesto.

Key highlights of Congress's Nyay Patra

Ensure legal assurance for MSP annually, following the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.

Conduct a nationwide socio-economic and caste census and surpass the 50% reservation cap for SC, ST, and OBC communities.

Reserve one-half of central government jobs for women starting in 2025.

Introduce the Mahalakshmi scheme, offering Rs 1 lakh per year to impoverished Indian families.

Maintain stable personal income tax rates to protect the salaried class.

Abolish "Angel tax" and other exploitative tax schemes hindering investment in small businesses and innovative startups.

Substitute the BJP government's GST laws with GST 2.0, aligning with universally recognized principles.

Abandon the Modi government's ‘Agnipath Scheme’ and return to conventional recruitment protocols.

Propose legislation acknowledging civil unions for LGBTQIA+ couples.

All outstanding student educational loan amounts, including unpaid interest as of March 15, 2024, will be waived as a one-time relief measure, with the government compensating banks.

Following the release of the manifesto, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi remarked that the election boils down to a choice between those impairing the constitution and democracy and those defending them.

The BJP strongly condemned the Congress's manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, citing significant concerns. BJP national spokesperson Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi highlighted discrepancies in the manifesto, such as the inclusion of images from New York and Thailand, raising doubts about the party's commitment in formulating their electoral promises.