NEW DELHI: Self-conscious projection of the party as the messiah of the backward classes and the minorities, coupled with a scathing attack on the Opposition, Particularly the BJP and an enigmatic silence on the Ayodhya, issue are the hallmarks of the Congress party’s election manifesto for Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and ‘Sikkim.
Pledging to pursue, the “people oriented” policies, the party accused the Opposition parties of arousing “all kinds of destructive Passions for narrow electoral gains,” saying that many of them were “one issue parties,” some exploiting caste and some religion.
Releasing the 15page document at the AICC headquarters on ‘Oct.30, the chairman of the national campaign committee, Pranab Mukherjee, told media persons that the party had deliberately chosen to be brief on the temple issue as it had already made its stand clear on several issues in the manifesto released last year before the Assembly polls in the four northern states.
He said many of the issues discussed in the manifesto released before the Assembly elections in five states a year ago were still relevant and therefore the present document should be read with the party’s views on such issues in the previous document.
‘the manifesto categorically mentions that the party has only one “mantra’’ stability, social harmony and’ development. However, stability, in the Congress lexicon, is Tot continuity of individuals, bot continuity in basic policies and programs. “Leaders come and go in the Congress, but the basic commit® ment to the core values of development, social Justice, secularism, empowerment of weaker and disadvantaged sections and Maintenance of social amity remains forever,” the manifesto said.
The manifesto briefly referred to the restoration of peace in Punjab and said steps were being taken to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir in the next few months so as to restore the democratic process in the troubled state. “Simultaneously, there has been no letup in the operation of security forces to roll back and destroy the forces of secessionism.”
Article extracted from this publication >> November 4, 1994
