"It's going to be people's manifesto": Chidambaram on Congress manifesto for Lok Sabha polls

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Wednesday that the party's manifesto for Lok Sabha polls will be a "people's manifesto" and apart from public consultations by party leaders, suggestions can also be sent through e-mail and a website. He said that the Congress party will take suggestions from people across the country before finalising the party manifesto.

"It's going to be a people's manifesto", he said, at a press conference here today. The press conference was also addressed by TS Singh Deo, convener of the Manifesto Committee and Supriya Shrinate, Chairperson of the Social and Digital Platforms of the AICC. The leaders also launched a dedicated website and an email ID on which people can give their suggestions for the manifesto. Shrinate said the suggestions can be sent on the email ''awaazbharatki@inc.in" or can be uploaded on the website "awaazbharatki.in" directly. The party will invite suggestions from people across the country and incorporate as many as possible of these in the manifesto, Chidambaram said.

The former Finance minister appealed to people to come forward with their suggestions. Chidambaram, who heads the manifesto committe, said that at least one public consultation will be held in every state and in some states there may be more than one consultation. Deo said the purpose of the consultations was to ensure that the stakeholders, for whom the manifesto is meant, can come forward with their suggestions so that it does not remain merely an academic exercise. Asked if INDIA bloc parties will be part of the consultation, Chidambaram said these will be open consultations.

"I think the idea is to hold a consultation, at least one consultation in each state. It's possible that in some states, there may be more than one consultation, but the goal is to have at least one public consultation at a place in every state. Everybody is welcome to the public consultations; if allied parties, INDIA group parties wish to attend the consultation, they are most welcome," he said.

"But, whether there will be close room consultations with the INDIA group, that's a matter which will be taken up by the INDIA group Coordination Committee. The Congress president will take it up at a leader-level consultation. I can't speak about that but there will be public consultations in every state at least one per state," he added.

Asked about reservations expressed over some sections of recent criminal laws passed by Parliament, he said there were dissent notes against these laws from him, Digvijaya Singh and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. He said the manifesto is expected to be completed by February 15 for the Congress Working Committee's approval.