Key Congress meet to approve manifesto today; poll panel may clear more names

The highest executive body of the party is also set to discuss and move a resolution on the electoral bond data.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet on Tuesday morning for the last time before the general election to approve the party’s poll manifesto, among other things. In the evening, the central election committee is expected to clear the candidate list for the first phase of the polls scheduled on April 19, functionaries said.

The CWC will meet for the last time before the general elections in April-May. (ANI)

The working committee meeting, scheduled at 10 am , is expected to spend most of its time on approving the manifesto. The meeting is also expected to pass a resolution hailing former party chief Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which started from Manipur on January 14 and ended in Mumbai on March 17.

“There are many pressing issues before the party. But the CWC might be hard-pressed for time to discuss all raging subjects as the primary objective of the meeting is to approve the Congress manifesto,” a committee member said on condition of anonymity.

The highest executive body of the party is also set to discuss and move a resolution on the electoral bond data. The developments came a day after Election Commission uploaded the data a day before the deadline set by the Supreme Court in the high-profile case. Around 1,260 companies and individuals bought 22,217 bonds worth ₹12,155.51 crore between April 12, 2019, and February 15, 2024, the data showed.

During this period, 20,421 bonds worth ₹12,769.09 crore were redeemed by 23 political parties, with the Bharatiya Janata Party leading the pack with ₹6,061 crore (47.5% of total redeemed value), followed by the Trinamool Congress with ₹1,610 crore (12.6%) and Congress with ₹1,422 crore (11.1%).

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is expected to be the other focus area of the meeting, with Gandhi completing the east-to-west leg of the march after the historic Bharat Jodo Yatra last year.

The party’s poll panel is expected to clear the remaining names for the first phase of the election in 18 states and three Union Territories. The meeting was earlier scheduled on March 15, but couldn’t take place as the top leaders were busy in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

The Congress so far has cleared 82 names in two meetings of the poll committee. On Tuesday, it will focus on Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, J&K, Uttar Pradesh and other places.