Emphasis remains on welfarism; new focus on wellregulated markets, tax law reforms and level field for all
The Congress Manifesto for the 2024 General Elections promises to take forward to the next level the rights and entitlementsbased approach to governance its pollpromise documents for the last four Lok Sabha elections (200419) had made, promising a new deal on “social justice” and enhanced welfarism.
It now promises ‘right to apprenticeship’ and legal guarantee for MSP, building on other rights established in UPAI and II such as right to food, information, education (2009), employment, identity (Aadhar) and right to direct receipt of welfare benefits.
The Congress’ 2014 manifesto had proposed right to health, to pension, and to social security among others.
Ensuring distributive justice and removal of economic inequality by rewriting the IncomeTax Code is an important feature of the latest manifesto (2024) that resonates a similar promise made in the 2014 edition. Another promise now is to replace the current GST laws, enacted by the NDA government, with a GST 2.0 promising a single, moderate rate that will not burden the poor.
JOBS FOR WOMEN
If voted to power, the Congress now promises to reserve 50 per cent of Central government jobs for women and also open up the Centre’s purse strings for welfare schemes on health, education, PDS coverage and senior citizen pension, building on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) it had originally rolled out. The latest manifesto promises to increase the wages under MGNREGA to ₹400 per day. Currently, the national average of MGNREGA is ₹289 per day.
Besides MGNREGA, the Congress is guaranteeing a national minimum wage of ₹400 per day.
A similar promise in the latest manifesto is an urban employment programme guaranteeing work for the urban poor in reconstruction and renewal of urban infrastructure. A separate law will be enacted to specify and protect the rights of gig workers and unorganised workers and enhance their social security.
ECONOMIC JUSTICE
The latest manifesto amplifies the social welfare measures that were a common theme in its manifestoes over the last two decades. Addressing inequality of wealth and income is the main theme of its economic programme.
Simultaneously, the Congress reiterated its commitment to keep India an open economy in which growth will be driven by the private sector complemented by a strong and viable public sector.
OPEN ECONOMY
“Levelplaying field” to all private players as opposed to “crony capitalism” of the BJP is the bedrock of its economic vision, said the Congress. Strengthening institutions such as the Competition Commission of India has been highlighted to ensure an open and competitive economy.
“We will ensure that no company or person arrogates to itself or himself the financial or material resources or the business opportunities or the concessions that ought to be available to every entrepreneur," the latest manifesto noted.