Congress’ NARI NYAY plan highlights party’s ambition ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Five years later, the Congress on Wednesday came up with “NARI NYAY”. The new plan didn’t try to find a sub-group of poverty but promised to “empower every Indian woman”

Five years ago, the idea of NYAY (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) had dominated the Congress party’s manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha election. At that time, the Congress had announced financial assistance to the poorest 20% of the population.

Congress has promised to give poor women ₹1 lakh per year. (File photo)

It was a rather unusual step to create a sub-category/division among poor people. Party leaders indicated that some of the top economists in the party were skeptical of such plans of the Congress (to cater to only a section of the poor), which had once aimed for “Garibi Hatao.”

The NYAY never got implemented as the BJP trounced its principal opponent in that election.

Five years later, the Congress on Wednesday came up with “NARI NYAY”. The new plan didn’t try to find a sub-group of poverty but promised to “empower every Indian woman.”

Congress has promised to give poor women ₹1 lakh per year, reserve 50% of Central government jobs for women, double the support for ASHA, anganwadi and mid-day meal workers, among other schemes.

While these are attractive sops, the bigger problem of Congress lies elsewhere. The poll promises of the Congress party will clash with “Modi ki guarantee”. For the voters, it would be a choice between going for tall promises or trusting the PM who has already delivered basic services such as house, water connection, toilets, cooking gas connection, electricity connection at a humungous scale.

Mamata says no detention camp

Meanwhile, the CAA (Citizenship (Amendment) Act) continues to dominate the political discourse in West Bengal.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that she won’t allow any Assam-type detention camps for ‘foreigners’ in her state.

The Assam government in 2009 notified detention centres to house people “declared foreigners” by tribunals till they are deported. These centres were created inside jails as a temporary measure till a permanent place was constructed or found to keep them. The state’s largest detention centre, the Matia Transit Camp, became operational in January last year. It is built on a 28,800 sq. ft area in Goalpara, about 130km from state capital Dispur.

Banerjee labeled the CAA, the rules of it were notified on March 12, as a ‘political gimmick’ ahead of the Lok Sabha election. A number of Opposition chief ministers, including Banerjee, Kerala CM Pinarai Vijayan and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin had threatened not to “implement” the law in the state. To be sure, citizenship is a central law, and no state government has any jurisdiction on citizenship.

Also, in Bengal, trouble is brewing for Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Mahua Moitra who was removed from the 17th Lok Sabha.

The Lokpal, the anti-corruption authority which looks into complaints against public servants, is likely to decide this week whether a first information report (FIR) is required to be filed against former TMC lawmaker Mahua Moitra in the cash-for-query case.

Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra which started from Manipur has entered its 61st day. The yatra that travelled through Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat before coming to Maharashtra is set to culminate at Shivaji Park on March 17.

Congress leaders maintained that only after the yatra comes to an end, the party will call its Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting to approve the manifesto and take several poll-related decisions.