With over two weeks remaining for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party will release the party's manifesto on Friday. Sources within the party claim the focus of the manifesto will be on the five 'pillars of justice' and youth.
The manifesto would be released by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress will stress 'Paanch Nyay' or five pillars of justice, including 'Yuva Nyay', 'Naari Nyay', 'Kisaan Nyay', 'Shramik Nyay' and 'Hissedari Nyay' in the manifesto. The party will also give guarantees to the people as part of its poll promises for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Another focal point will be the youth. Besides the 'right to employment', more youth-centric initiatives are likely to be included in the manifesto. The party will also propose stringent punishment for those responsible for paper leaks in examinations besides measures to bring transparency in government recruitment.
The party manifesto would also focus on a legal guarantee to a minimum support price and caste-based census in the country. It is also likely to give thrust on welfare measures like providing financial assistance to marginalised sections of society and ensuring that they get justice and be part of the state welfare measures.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have highlighted the guarantees earlier too.
Kharge, who is actively campaigning, on Thursday launched the "Ghar Ghar Guarantee" initiative, under which it aims to reach out to eight crore households across the country. Kharge launched the initiative from Usmanpur, Kaithwada in the North East Delhi parliamentary constituency and distributed pamphlets on the Congress's "Paanch Nyay Pachees Guarantee".
Rahul Gandhi too highlighted the party's "guarantee card" to a woman. He posted on X: "Our Paanch big guarantees are -- Pehli Naukri Pakki: Every educated youth will have their first job guaranteed with Rs 1 lakh salary; Mahalakshmi: One woman in every poor family will be given Rs 1 lakh every year; Sahi Daam and Karz Mukti: Loan waiver and legal status to MSP, according to the Swaminathan Commission's formula."
"Shram Ka Samman: Rs 400 per day, National Minimum Wage, including for MGNREGA; Ginti Karo: Every individual and every community to be counted through a nationwide census to ensure social and economic equity."
"The Congress will empower every youngster, woman, farmer, worker and marginalised citizen of India," Gandhi asserted. "We will ensure the benefits of the nation's progress are not cornered by a few, but rather reach every household," he said.