Cooch Behar: The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has seen strained relations with central agencies, had promised “autonomy” and new chiefs for the CBI, ED, NIA and even the RBI if the INDIA bloc is voted to power in the Lok Sabha elections.
In its manifesto, released Wednesday, TMC also promised to preserve the federal rights of states, besides replicating West Bengal’s welfare schemes across the country. It also called for amending the Constitution to enable a more representative appointment of governors.
On central agencies, the manifesto said that the autonomy of these institutions — CBI, NIA, ED, IT department and even UGC and RBI — will be ‘restored’ if the INDIA bloc is voted to power. “The administrations of these institutions will also be replaced with new appointments based on a transparent selection process driven by independent panels and strict eligibility protocols prioritising institutional integrity,” said the manifesto.
With non-BJP ruled states constantly at loggerheads with the Raj Bhavan, the TMC for the first time in its manifesto proposed an amendment to the Constitution pertaining to the appointment of governors. “TMC will bring a Constitutional Amendment to Article 155. This will ensure that Governors are appointed in consultation with state legislatures,” it said.
The party led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also vowed to make the anti-defection law watertight, citing recurring instances of horse-trading that led to the fall of elected governments. “We will amend the 10th Schedule of the Constitution to make provisions of anti-defection law more explicit and immediate in their application,” it said.
In terms of welfare schemes, the TMC has promised 10 LPG cylinders free of cost for below poverty line (BPL) households, capping the cost of fuel and the creation of a national fund to lessen the burden of fluctuating prices of fuel, if the INDIA bloc is voted to power.
It has also promised to withdraw cases filed against farmers during the protest to demand higher MSP for their produce.
Taking forward schemes of the state government, TMC has proposed replacing Ayushman Bharat scheme with the state’s Swasthya Sathi with a cover of Rs 10 lakh, besides nationwide implementation of its Duare Sarkar (government at your doorstep), Kanyashree (free cycles for girl students) and Lakshmir Bhandar (monthly stipend for women) schemes.
It has also promised to replicate its schemes providing student credit cards and old-age pensions across the country.
Asked about his views on the TMC’s manifesto, political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty said it ‘lacks a vision and is based on a patron-client model’.
“There is no long-term policy announcement, TMC earned power by promising populist schemes during the 2021 polls and they won the people’s support. Replacing existing schemes with its own makes no sense. There is a lack of vision in its manifesto and seems like a manifesto for Bengal and not India,” Chakraborty told ThePrint.
Addressing a news conference Wednesday, BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya said, “The person who printed the manifesto will be happy because people won’t be. Listening to TMC’s manifesto, it seems they are fighting a Vidhan Sabha bypoll and not Lok Sabha elections. There is no alternative to PM Modi. Mamata Banerjee can only claim to be a challenger.”
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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