PREAMBLE

A manifesto provides an opportunity periodically for any political party to articulate its loftiest hopes and noblest aspirations.

For the Congress, of course, it is more than that.

It is also an occasion for highlighting achievements and looking back on tasks accomplished.

It is an occasion for recalling the Congress as the only hand of experience and expertise.

A manifesto is a moment of offer to our people a freshness of vision, a boldness of intent and of intent and a clarity of purpose.

But it is also a sober moment.

For, a manifesto is a solemn pledge that a political party takes to fulfill promises and renew its commitments.

It is in spirit of humility that the Congress offers this manifesto to the nation. A manifesto for taking India and each and every Indian into the 21st Century - the sixth millennium of Indian civilisation - with dignity and pride.

WHY ELECTIONS NOW?

The Background The 11th Lok Sabha has been dissolved by the President. It lasted just eighteen months. Its short life was in built in the mandate given by the people in elections held in May 1996.

Over 60 crore Indians are once again being called upon to elect their representatives for the 12th Lok Sabha. The Indian National Congress appeals to the people of India to vote Congress. The 12 - day BJP non - rule and the 17 - month experiment with two United Front governments clearly demonstrate the perils of non - Congress administration and the fragility of coalitions

. The Indian National Congress has given stable, purposeful and result-oriented governments to this country for 45 out of the last fifty years. Each of the Congress governments has served its full five - year term under five Prime Ministers. However, whenever the Congress Party lost the mandate of the people to rule, coalition governments consisting of non - Congress parties were formed. None of these coalition governments completed their full five - year terms because of their internal conflicts and contradictions.

Between March 1977 and December 1979, the Janata Party Government of Shri Morarji Desai lasted for a little over two years. It was followed by a government of a break - away group under Shri Charan Singh that lasted for just six months. The National Front government led by Shri V.P. Singh and supported by both the Left and the BJP lasted for only eleven months from December 1989 and a government of a break - away group led by Shri Chandrasekhar lasted for just six months.

In 1996 when the Congress was defeated in the 11th Lok Shabha elections, the country had to bear with three successive governments over a 17 month period from May 16, 1996to November 28, 1997. In short, the Congress gave five Prime Ministers in 45 years. The non- Congress parties gave seven Prime Ministers in five years. Earlier non - Congress governments had adequate numbers. The Janata party government had a near two - third majority in the Lok Shbha. Shri V.P. Singh's government had the support of nearly 300 MPs.

Despite numerical majority, non - Congress governments have not survived for long as they have not been based on any cohesive policy or program based on a development ideology and social commitment. Blind anti - Congressism brought non - Congress parties together for a limited period with the narrow objective of capturing power.

But experience shows that neither their lust for power nor the narrow objective of forming a government just for the sake of forming one will provide stability in our political system. Non - Congress parties have a myopic vision and have not been able to rise to the occasion. Cracks in such opportunistic alliances after a brief honeymoon period are inevitable. Therefore, it was no wonder that after 17 months of non - governance, the United Front government collapsed.

The 1996 Mandate

The BJP's attempt to form a government in May 1996 was a monumental fraud and a pathetic attempt to capture power and sustain it through horse - trading and defections.

This cannot be described as an attempt to form the government. It is nothing but sheer political adventurism. 80% of Indians voted for non - communal forces in 1996. The Congress met on May, 12 1996 and its Working Committee passed a resolution extending Congress support to secular parties in their efforts to form a Government at the Center. The Congress, even though it was the single largest party in terms of vote shares and the second largest in terms of seats won, did not even consider forming a government of its own.

This was in keeping with the wishes of the people. The United Front government consisting of 13 disparate political parties, mostly regional in character, came to office in June 1996 with the support of the Congress. If the Congress had not extended this support, elections would have had to be held very soon thereafter within weeks of the May 1996 polls. The Congress's objectives were clear. First, to avoid another general elections so soon after the 11th General Elections. Second, to communal ideology masquerading as principal politics.

The Congress hoped that United Front and the Congress Party would work together to give the country an effective administration. The Congress also hoped that the instinctive anti - Congressism of some of the United Front constituents would be kept in check keeping the larger national imperatives in mind. Sadly, all these hopes of the Congress were dashed and belied. The United Front failed to live up to its own Common Minimum Program. That was bad enough. But what was worse was that the United spared no effort and lost no opportunity to damage the Congress even while continuing to enjoy office with Congress support.

The Uttar Pradesh Fiasco

The United Front's commitment to secularism was first put to test when the question of isolation and confronting the communal forces arose in the context of the U.P. Vidhan Sabha elections in 1996. CONGRESS I 3 In these elections, the people of Uttar Pradesh denied a simple majority to the BJP. But the United Front failed to respond to the wishes of the people that a secular, non - BJP government be installed in Lucknow.

The Congress pleased for an alliance among the United Front, the BSP and the Congress, its pleas were ignored. The Congress President took the unprecedented step of attending internal meetings of the United Front to champion the cause of Mayawati, a dalit and a mahila, as Chief Minister of a non - BJP alliance in UP. But his pleas fell on deaf ears. The stalemate continued for a long time and ultimately a BJP - BSP government was formed. Uttar Pradesh in 1996 was the first test case of the United Front's commitment to halting the spread of communal forces.

The UF failed in this test inspire of constant prodding by the Congress. The BJP - BSP coalition in UP just could not last. Actually it was not a coalition; it was a travesty, a daily - wage government formed on a contract basis. This broke apart in just six months as the Congress had anticipated. Once again, an opportunity arose to give the 12 crore people of Uttar Pradesh a truly secular government with a clear development agenda. Once again, the Congress pleaded with the United Front. Once again, the United Front could not separate personalities from principles, Once again, a communal government was allowed to be foisted on the people of India's most populous state. Many of the United Front constituents had made common cause with the BJP in the past in their pursuit of anti - Congressism.

It was perhaps too much to expect that these parties that had hobnobbed with the BJP in the past would join the Congress in its crusade against communalism in Uttar Pradesh. These parties failed Uttar Pradesh at a most crucial moment inspire of the best efforts of the Congress. The United Front did not hesitate to take its anti - Congressism to absurd lengths. It wanted the Congress to fight communal forces alone while it continued to enjoy power with the support of the Congress. No self - respecting political party can accept such an absurd proposition. It was not easy for the Congress to extend support to the United Front government in June 1996.

The Congress is directly in opposition to some of the UF constituents in states like West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Orissa, Assam and Bihar. Yet, keeping the the national perspective and the country's needs in mind, the Congress consciously decided not to allow opposition at the state - level to prevent cooperation at the national level. Such instances are rare. .