New Delhi

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Congress Manifesto 2024: The opposition Congress party in India on Friday (Apr 5) launched its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Addressing the manifesto launch event, senior Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram said, "The broad theme of the manifesto is justice. Every aspect of justice has been threatened, weakened in the last 10 years, especially in the last five years."

"I have always accused the BJP Govt and said that Modi Govt is the government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich. This Govt is driven only by the interests of the top 1% of this country but we have to look at the bottom 50%. The bottom 50% is as important as those who are well off. It has been estimated that 23 crore people are still poor in this country," Chidambaram added.

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Congress Manifesto 2024 Full Details

The manifesto launch came just two weeks before the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections would begin. Here's a look at the top promises made by the Congress:

1) If it wins the general elections, the Congress has promised a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) announced by the government every year, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.

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2) The Congress will reserve one-half (50 per cent) of central government jobs for women starting in 2025.

3) "Congress resolves to launch a Mahalakshmi scheme to provide Rs 1 lakh per year to every poor Indian family as an unconditional cash transfer. The poor will be identified among the families at the bottom of the income pyramid," the party manifesto said. 

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4) Following consultation, the Congress would bring a law to recognise civil unions between couples belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community.

5) "Congress will ensure that, like every citizen, minorities have the freedom of choice of dress, food, language and personal laws. We will encourage the reform of personal laws. Such reform must be undertaken with the participation and consent of the communities concerned," the manifesto added.

6) The Congress has also promised to abolish application fees for government examinations and government posts. "Due to widespread unemployment, as a one-time measure of relief, the amount due including unpaid interest as of 15 March 2024 in respect of all student educational loans will be written off and the banks will be compensated by the government," the manifesto said.

7) Congress will ensure that, like every citizen, minorities have the freedom of choice of dress, food, language and personal laws.

8) In the areas of national security, the Congress has promised to scrap the Modi government's Agnipath Scheme and return to the normal recruitment processes followed by the Army, Navy and Air Force that will guarantee economic and social security for the soldiers.

9) "Congress is firmly opposed to extra-judicial illegal measures like mob lynching, police encounter killings and bulldozer justice. We will stop them immediately and punish the perpetrators in accordance with law," the manifesto said.

10) Congress resolves to make India a manufacturing hub by raising the share of manufacturing from 14 per cent to 20 per cent of GDP in the next five years.