NEW DELHI: With elections round the corner, the Congress on Wednesday initiated a massive public outreach by launching a website and email ID to invite suggestions for its election manifesto from people.
Addressing media in the capital, former Union minister and chairman of Congress Manifesto Committee, P Chidambaram, said that the 2024 Lok Sabha election manifesto will be a people’s manifesto. He said the party will take inputs from people across the country before finalising it.
The suggestions can be sent on the email ‘awaazbharatki@inc.in’ or can be uploaded on the website ‘awaazbharatki.in’ directly.
The party will hold public consultation in every state, said the Congress leader, adding, “In some states, there may be more than one consultation.” The party will try to incorporate as many suggestions as possible in the manifesto, he said.
The committee consists of 15 other members, including senior leaders Jairam Ramesh, Shashi Tharoor, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Siddaramaiah, and TS Singh Deo, among others. All the members will be entrusted with one or two states for holding consultations with the people.
Replying to a question whether INDIA parties will be part of the consultation, Chidambaram said that these will be open consultations and everybody is welcome to participate. However, at the INDIA level, it will be discussed among the leaders of the alliance and the consultations of the manifesto committee will be held at the party level only.
“If INDIA allies wish to attend the consultation, they are most welcome... If there will be higher-level consultation or not will be for the Congress president to decide,” Chidambaram said.
The Congress leader said that the manifesto will talk about the several anti-people laws passed by the BJP government including the three recent criminal laws. Chidambaram said there were a few dissent notes on the laws from him, Digvijaya Singh and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in the public domain.
The manifesto would be completed by February 15 for the Congress Working Committee’s approval, as it has to be approved by the Congress Working Committees.
Convenor of the Committee, TS Singh Deo, said the exercise is being carried out to ensure that the voice of people is reflected in the document.
“It is important to seek the suggestions of the stakeholders so that it does not remain merely an academic exercise,” he said.