Congress to seek suggestions from people before finalizing manifesto; launches website

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and the Chairman of the party’s Manifesto Committee P Chidambaram said that the party will take suggestions from people across the country before finalising the manifesto.

“It’s going to be a People’s Manifesto”, he said, while addressing a press conference here today, along with 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.

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, while appealing to people to come forward with their suggestions.

He said at least one public consultation will be held in every state and some states, there may be more than one consultation. He said, all the 15 members will have one or two states to visit for holding the Manifesto Consultations with the people.

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.

Replying to a question whether INDIA parties will be part of the consultation, Chidambaram said, these will be open consultations and everybody is welcome to participate in these. He said, at the INDIA level, it will be discussed among the leaders of the alliance and the consultations the Manifesto Committee will be holding will be at the Congress party level only.

To another question whether repealing three recent criminal laws passed by the government will be part of the manifesto, he said, there were a few dissent notes against these laws from him, Digvijaya Singh, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury already in the public domain.

On the likely date by which the manifesto would be finalized, he said, he expected it to get completed by February 15 for the Congress Working Committee’s approval, as the Manifesto has to be approved by the CWC.