Congress launches drive to have ‘people’s manifesto’

The Congress on Monday launched a website, manifesto.inc.in, to tap maximum of 400 million internet users in India in the process of coming out with a truly “people’s manifesto” for the Lok Sabha elections as part of the consultations already launched early in this month by its manifesto committee headed by former union finance minister P Chidambaram with Prof. Rajeev Gowda as its convener.

Those wanting to provide their inputs for inclusion in the Congress manifesto can also email them to manifesto@inc.in or reach through dedicated WhatsApp/Facebook number 7292088245 besides the website accessible in 16 languages.

Chidambaram told a press conference here that the Congress manifesto would be an inclusive process based on conversations with the people by asking them what they expect from the Congress to make it a true reflection of ‘Jan Avaz’ in Hindi or ‘Your Voice’ in English as its motto.

He said the consultation process was soft-launched from October 1 in which he and other members of the committee travel to different places for the closed-door dialogue with experts and open door consultations with public as well as with the party workers. He was in Mumbai holding one such consultation with some 500 at Bandra on Saturday while the 31st consultation was in progress on Monday in Nagpur on the issues of Dalits and OBCs.

Gowda said each member will conduct eight to ten consultations to have 150 to 160 consultations by the year-end. The panel members are being assisted by the recently formed central and state research departments, he said.