Punjab polls:Congress plans statewide public consultations for poll manifesto

The committee discussed the framework for preparing the manifesto and decided that the document should reflect the aspirations, concerns and priorities of Punjabis rather than be drafted solely within the party organisation

The manifesto committee of the Punjab Congress on Friday held its first meeting, with chairman and Fatehgarh Sahib MP Amar Singh emphasising that the party will come out with a “people’s manifesto” through wider public participation and inputs from different sections and regions of the state.

Amar Singh said views and demands emerging from the consultations would be examined and incorporated into the manifesto as much as possible. (HT)

The meeting took place nearly seven weeks after the All India Congress Committee (AICC) constituted the panel on July 1 ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

Apart from Amar Singh, former minister Pargat Singh, Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla and former minister Hardial Singh Kambhoj were present at the meeting.

The committee discussed the framework for preparing the manifesto and decided that the document should reflect the aspirations, concerns and priorities of Punjabis rather than be drafted solely within the party organisation.

Amar Singh said views and demands emerging from the consultations would be examined and incorporated into the manifesto as much as possible.

The committee also decided to undertake large-scale consultations to identify and address the deep-rooted problems confronting the state.

The committee also resolved to identify Punjab’s long-standing structural and region-specific challenges and focus on practical solutions rather than routine political promises.

Punjab Congress has been grappling with intense factionalism since the Congress high command on July 1 retained Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).

A section of leaders led by Jalandhar MP and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa opposed the move and sought Warring’s removal from the position. The high command, however, has backed Warring and ruled out any change of guard.