Cong promises pension, housing
Thursday, 27/03/2014
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New Delhi: The Congress, on Wednesday, released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, seeking to connect with the poor and the vast aspirational class by promising them more jobs, right to health and housing and said the BJP ‘ balloon’ will burst when results are out.
The manifesto ‘Your voice Our Pledge’ was released by Congress president Sonia Gandhi at the party office here at 24, Akbar Road in presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and senior leaders.
The manifesto promised a new right to health, policies to lift 800 million people into the middle class and GDP growth rate of more than eight per cent in the next three years.
The Congress also promised an agenda to create 100 million more jobs for the youth.
The manifesto accused the BJP of ‘ divisive and disruptive ideology’ with Congress leaders making veiled digs at party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
Sonia Gandhi said the party was not fighting Lok Sabha elections only for heralding better economic development but also for keeping the constitutional structure intact. Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi expressed confidence about Congress returning to power after the Lok Sabha polls.
The manifesto had an imprint of Rahul Gandhi, who held wide consultations over the past few months with a cross section of people , including porters, farmers and fishermen to get their suggestions.
The manifesto sought to portray Congress both as pro-poor and pro-business, and a party that wanted to empower the citizens through rights-based legislations.
“The country can grow by a firm partnership between business and poor. It cannot grow either by neglecting business or the poor. The best ideology to do this is Congress,” Rahul Gandhi said at the manifesto release function.
The manifesto said the Congress will put in place charter of minimum ‘social-economic rights’ , including “right to health, right to pension, right to housing, right to social security, right to dignity and humane working conditions, and right to entrepreneurship.” Setting out a 15-point agenda for India’s socio-economic and political transformation, the Congress promised to bring “two-thirds of India’s population - the skilled hands that build the country - into middle
class.”
