Cong starts preparing Lok Sabha manifesto

OUTREACH Starts a dedicated website, Whatsapp number to seek public feedback

NEWDELHI: The Congress on Monday kicked off its 2019 Lok Sabha elections manifesto preparation process by seeking public feedback through a dedicated website and Whatsapp messaging service. All the suggestions will be incorporated into the poll document.

Launching the website — www.manifesto.inc.in — former finance minister P Chidambaram said the broad theme of the manifesto was ‘Jan Awaaz (Your Voice)’.

The move to seek suggestions from the public on the various issues to be incorporated into the “people’s manifesto” is a practice followed by the grand old party since 2014.

The manifesto contains promises, programmes and policies of the party for the next five years, if voted to power.

“We will ask, encourage and motivate people to tell us what they expect from the Congress party when it comes to power,” Chidambaram told a news conference while launching the website. Flanked by party colleague Rajeev Gowda, he said a 22-member manifesto committee has been constituted. This has been further divided into 20 subject groups.chidambaram said the Congress president himself had suggested on many occasions that the party’s manifesto will be framed on the basis of its conversation with people. “The suggestions can be submitted in 16 languages. There is also a dedicated Whatsapp number and email for the people, organisations, students’ bodies, women and other groups to give their inputs,” he said.“we hope that millions of Indians will participate in the feedback process.” In all, there will be 160 consultations in 70-80 locations across the country till the finalisation of the draft manifesto in December this year or

January next year. Lok Sabha elections are due in April-may 2019. The consultation process started on October 1 in Nagpur and so far 31 such interactions have been held across the country. Some of the subjects included in the document are farmers’ issue and agrarian distress, youths, jobs, women and child development, education, economy, industry, urban affairs, matters related to armed services and retired defence personnel, healthcare, defence and security issues, environment, foreign policy apart from art, heritage and cluture, according to Congress leader Gowda.

“The theme of this entire manifesto consultation process is your aspirations shape the future of India, your voice inspires the change and the Congress is listening to you,” he said. After compiling the inputs, we will lay out a draft and submit that to the Congress working committee before the manifesto is finalised and released,” Gowda said.

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