Kolkata, April 7 – The Congress party released its manifesto for the upcoming two-phase assembly elections in West Bengal later this month, prioritizing an alternative economic model to improve fiscal health, attract investment, and generate employment, rather than distributing handouts under various schemes, which is the signature propaganda tool of the ruling Trinamool Congress.
After releasing the manifesto in Kolkata, Congress’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge explained why the party is prioritizing economic development over promises of dole distribution.
“We want to offer new alternatives to the people of West Bengal. Therefore, our manifesto does not talk about distributing handouts. It focuses on rebuilding and reforming the state’s economy,” Kharge said.
He also launched scathing attacks against both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the ruling Trinamool Congress, putting both forces in the same category, although officially the Trinamool Congress remains part of the Congress-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INC) bloc.
“Previously, if someone talked about industry, they would mention Kolkata. Now, young people from West Bengal are migrating to Maharashtra, Chennai, and Hyderabad. The situation in West Bengal is very dire. Young men and women are roaming around with degrees.
“The government here has no plan. The Bharatiya Janata Party does not consider these things. They only create conflicts between Hindus and Muslims. Therefore, we have presented a third option in West Bengal.
“Images of corruption within the state administration have come to the forefront. Around Rs 50 crore was recovered from the house of a state minister. Now, West Bengal needs to be guided towards the rule of law,” Kharge said.
Echoing Kharge, veteran Congress leader and head of the party’s media cell Jairam Ramesh said that the people of West Bengal are caught between the corruption of the Trinamool Congress and the communally divisive politics of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and therefore need an alternative.
“We in Congress can provide them with that alternative,” Ramesh said.
The Congress party, which had a seat-sharing arrangement with the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front since the 2016 West Bengal assembly elections, is contesting independently for all 294 assembly constituencies in West Bengal.
