Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday said that the manifesto of the BJP for the Lok Sabha polls has vanished without a trace after it was announced. On the other hand, Congress manifesto recieved popularity because of its welfare promises.

In a post on X, P Chidambaram said, “Congress’ manifesto is based on three driving principles: work, wealth and welfare. There is nothing in the BJP’s manifesto that is comparable to the Congress’ Manifesto. That is why PM Modi and other BJP leaders do not speak about their manifesto. The BJP’s manifesto vanished without a trace. The Congress’ manifesto has left a deep impression on the minds of the people and has become a talking point among millions of people of the country.”

Chidambaram, who heads the Congress manifesto committee, said that his party’s poll document has an inclusive approach and that it only talks about the poor.

“Speaking at Solapur, Maharashtra, Prime Minister said that SC, ST, OBC and the poor have the first right on the country’s resources PM Manmohan Singh said the same thing in his speech to the National Development Council in November 2006 Dr Manmohan Singh had added minorities, women and children to that list why has PM Narendra Modi forgotten minorities, women and children? Are there not poor minorities, poor women and poor children?” he asked.

He further said that the correct formulation would be that the poor have the first claim on the nation’s resources.

“The Congress recognizes that despite development there is a significant number of poor people in the country. Hence, the ‘pivot to the poor’. Congress’ manifesto has the policies that will lift the poor, increase their incomes, and reduce the alarming inequalities in India,” Chidambaram said.

Chidambaram was the chairman of the Congress Manifesto Committee for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Earlier on April 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that the Congress and the INDIA bloc are “spreading lies” on OBC representation, adding that the Congress never wanted Dalit, Adivasi and OBC leadership to lead the country.

Addressing a public gathering in Solapur, Maharashtra, PM Modi said that the Congress insulted Dalit leader Dr BR Ambedkar.

“Congress never wanted Dalit, Tribal and OBC leadership in the country. This is the same Congress that insulted Dalit leader Dr BR Ambedkar. Babasaheb Ambedkar got the Bharat Ratna when a BJP-backed government was in power at the Centre,” PM said.

“It has always been the endeavour of the BJP to ensure maximum representation for SC, ST, and OBCs. In 2014, when you gave us a huge majority, the NDA made a Dalit’s son (Ram Nath Kovind), the President (Droupadi Murmu) of the country,” he added.

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