Cong manifesto states national security as main election plank

The Kargil conflict has added a new thrust to the party’s manifesto and national security issues will form one of the major planks on which the party will run its election campaign. Issues such as adequate safeguarding of the country’s borders, modernisation of the armed forces to counter any internal or external threat are to form part of this new chapter which has been added to the manifesto in the aftermath of the Kargil conflict.

Party sources said that the manifesto has focussed on the review of the network of the intelligence establishment for better coordination of variousagencies. The document is also said to have called for an expansion of professional expertise in intelligence gathering and technological upgradation in this field.

Another area, sources said, which had been given importance is the restructuring of the defence apparatus and sustained modernisation of the Armed Forces. Interestingly, the Congress had opposed a similar move by the BJP-led government after the sacking of Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat. The manifesto acknowledges the fact that the Kargil conflict was won solely due to the efforts of the army and salutes the efforts of the soldiers in this regard.

According to a senior Congress leader, the manifesto also promises reservation in government jobs for Dalit Christians and increased representation for minorities in paramilitary forces as well as other public services at the Central and State level. It also reiterates the party’s commitment for one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and the state legislative assemblies.

Themanifesto also stresses on the traditional Congress plank of stability along with cohesive governance under one-party rule. The party, through its manifesto, intends to educate the voter on the unworkability of coalitions at the centre compared with the stability of one-party rule provided by the Congress.

In the economic sphere, the party is said to have promised to continue with the policies of liberalisation pursued by its earlier regimes. But it has also promised that the interests of the poor will be adequately take care of. Creating jobs for the unemployed in the urban and rural areas is another plank of the manifesto.