Delhi polls: Congress manifesto woos voters with jobs, houses and subsidies

There are 22 subheads in the manifesto, targeting specific groups of voters, such as youth, women, professionals, urban poor, minorities and LGBTQIA+, and heads, such as health, education, transport, industries, and pollution

New Delhi

Unveiling the manifesto alongside Delhi Congress leaders, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh highlighted key promises. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

The Congress on Wednesday made an array of promises, traversing different sections of society and issues, in its election manifesto for the Delhi Assembly election. Unveiling the manifesto alongside Delhi Congress leaders, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh highlighted key promises: regularising all contractual jobs by 2025, 33% reservation for women in government jobs, 700 free public libraries, 10 new hospitals and 24-hour dispensaries in each ward, and a caste census, including Purvanchali-specific promises.

There are 22 subheads in the manifesto, targeting specific groups of voters, such as youth, women, professionals, urban poor, minorities and LGBTQIA+, and heads, such as health, education, transport, industries, and pollution. These will be in addition to the party’s five guarantees: 300 free power units, LPG cylinders for ₹500 and ration kits for domestic consumers, ₹2,500 monthly allowance to women under “Pyari Didi Yojna”, ₹25-lakh health insurance for each resident and ₹8,500 monthly allowance to educated and unemployed youths, party leaders said.

“Every party has started using the word ‘guarantee’ now but I would like to remind people that the term was first officially used by the Congress when Rashtriya Gramin Rozgar Guarantee was introduced by the Manmohan Singh government and we delivered every time we promised or guaranteed something. I remember that when Sheila Dikshit became (Delhi) CM in 1998, in the first meeting, we discussed implementation of three big infrastructure projects in Delhi: 7,000 new CNG buses, Yamuna Action Plan and Delhi Metro. There is no dearth of money for those who want to work for the people; if the intentions are good there are many sources of revenue,” former Union minister Jairam Ramesh said.

He said that Delhi currently “needed ease of breathing” and not ease of doing business or ease of “jumlebazi” (election gimmick).

Groups in focus

Elaborating on the party’s key plans, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said the Congress will focus on employment by reinstating 15,000 civil defence volunteers and making jobs of sanitation workers permanent. “Once we come to power, we will also check all vacant positions in all departments and get them filled, whether these are posts of teachers, doctors, engineers or others,” Yadav said.

The party promised a “shagan” of ₹1.1 lakh for weddings of disadvantaged widows, their daughters and orphan girls. It wooed senior citizens, persons with disabilities, transgender persons and destitute persons with a pension of ₹5,000 per month, setting up 100 Indira Canteens that will provide food for ₹5 and revival of street vendor policy.

For scheduled castes and other marginalised communities, the Congress promised 15% reservation in all government contracts, establishment of the Jain Welfare Board, rejuvenation of Basti Vikas Kendras and free “char dham yatra” for Dalits.

Among other key promises, the manifesto said the party will hand over 55,000 in-situ rehabilitation flats to slum dwellers, reinstate “bhagidari scheme” for RWAs, include more festivals under Delhi Tirth Sewa Samiti, and ensure sensitivity training in all government departments about the rights of LGBTQIA+ persons.

As previously announced, the manifesto also listed the plan to set up a dedicated ministry for Purvanchalis, with funding and a sub-plan.

Key sectors

The Congress manifesto listed health care, water supply and education among its key priorities.

Yadav said that the party, if voted to power, will build 10 new super speciality hospitals in five years and add 1,500 new dispensaries.

“Water supply is a huge problem in Delhi as about 56% is wasted due to leakage and other issues. We will ensure that all residents have access to 24X7 piped clean drinking water, which will need a large infrastructure change. However, it is possible if we manage to reduce wastage and ensure that all leaks and pilferage by the water tanker mafia ends,” Yadav said.

Yadav also hit out at the health and education sectors under the current regime.

“AAP claims they have worked on making the Delhi education model popular, but in reality, enrolment in government schools has reduced and children are failed in the name of good results. We feel Delhi needs a new education policy that will be aimed at improving the pass percentage. We have also planned 700 free public libraries, with 10 in every assembly where students can study till late evening, as at many homes, it is difficult to get the space and environment to focus,” Yadav said.

The Congress manifesto also promised to reinstate the Yamuna welfare board, establish smart villages, increase circle rates, award ownership in unauthorised colonies, improve public transport with special focus on last-mile connectivity and revive monorail project, ensure relaxation in land-pooling norms, incubation centres and seed funding for startups, encourage companies to adopt flexible working models and incentivise co-living and co-working spaces for professionals.

Groundwork

Chaudhari Anil Kumar, the Patparganj candidate who headed the party’s manifesto committee, said 22 subcommittees were formed to draft promises that included about 10-12 members each who spoke to different groups of people and also engaged with experts.

“After Atishi left her CM chair for Arvind Kejriwal, we had moved a chair around among people asking them to be the CM and talk about things they want in Delhi. We got multiple suggestions in that campaign directly from the people. Experts gave feedback on how all these promises will be financially feasible and how these can be implemented on ground,” Kumar said.