Congress panel starts deliberations on manifesto for Lok Sabha polls

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and former deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh T S Singh Deo are part of the committee who will be the drafting the party's manifesto for the coming Lok Sabha elections.

New Delhi:A Congress panel entrusted with drafting the party's manifesto for the coming Lok Sabha elections held its first meeting on Thursday and discussed various points to be included in the document.

In its bid to wrest power from the BJP after 10 years, the Congress is aiming to present an alternative positive agenda to the public. "This was the first meeting of the manifesto committee. It was an exchange of preliminary thoughts and ideas, and how we proceed with the drafting of the manifesto. The next meeting will take place next week," panel chairperson P Chidambaram said after the meeting.

Besides Chidambaram, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and former deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh T S Singh Deo are part of the committee. Singh Deo is the convener of the committee. Senior party leaders Anand Sharma, Jairam Ramesh, Shashi Tharoor, Ranjeet Ranjan, Gaurav Gogoi, K Raju and Gaikhangam are also part of the committee and attended the meeting.

Rajya Sabha member Imran Pratapgarhi, Gujarat Congress working president Jignesh Mevani and coordinator in Congress president's office Gurdeep Sappal and Amitabh Dubeyare are also part of the key panel and attended the meeting.