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India election: Congress manifesto pledges $1tn spending spree India election: Congress manifesto pledges $1tn spending spree
(35 minutes later)
India's ruling Congress party has pledged to create millions of jobs for the poor, increase health spending, and revive the emerging power's faltering economy in a last ditch effort to stave off defeat at national elections. India's ruling Congress party has pledged to create millions of jobs for the poor, increase health spending, and revive the emerging power's faltering economy in a last-ditch effort to stave off defeat at national elections.
Unveiling his party's manifesto for elections beginning 7 April, Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the country's most famous political dynasty and the face of the Congress campaign for re-election, said $1tn (£600bn) would be spent on India's inadequate infrastructure and a universal pension scheme created if his party was returned to power.Unveiling his party's manifesto for elections beginning 7 April, Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the country's most famous political dynasty and the face of the Congress campaign for re-election, said $1tn (£600bn) would be spent on India's inadequate infrastructure and a universal pension scheme created if his party was returned to power.
Addressing several hundred Congress faithful, Gandhi, 43, vowed to confound pollsters' predictions that Congress was set for a humiliating defeat to the Hindu nationalist opposition after a decade in power. "We are going to construct a manufacturing backbone that will give millions of millions of people jobs," Gandhi told the gathering at the party's headquarters in the capital, New Delhi.Addressing several hundred Congress faithful, Gandhi, 43, vowed to confound pollsters' predictions that Congress was set for a humiliating defeat to the Hindu nationalist opposition after a decade in power. "We are going to construct a manufacturing backbone that will give millions of millions of people jobs," Gandhi told the gathering at the party's headquarters in the capital, New Delhi.
Outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 81, said the next Congress government would be free of corruption, while apparently simultaneously saying that such graft was inevitable in India. The outgoing prime minister, Manmohan Singh, 81, said the next Congress government would be free of corruption, while apparently simultaneously saying that such graft was inevitable in India.
"In a developing economy corruption cannot be wished away but every effort has to be made to overcome these tendencies which give rise to corruption," Singh told the crowd."In a developing economy corruption cannot be wished away but every effort has to be made to overcome these tendencies which give rise to corruption," Singh told the crowd.
Singh, who has been repeatedly criticised for presiding over a series of scandals which badly undermined support for his party, defended his Congress-led government's record since it was first elected in 2004, saying 140 million people had been pulled out of poverty. Singh, who has been repeatedly criticised for presiding over a series of scandals that badly undermined support for his party, defended his Congress-led government's record since it was first elected in 2004, saying 140 million people had been pulled out of poverty.
But both he and Gandhi conceded much more was needed to overcome still endemic poverty for tens of milllions of Indians and reform the business environment and help revive the economy running at a decade low of 4.7% growth. But both he and Gandhi conceded much more needed to be done to overcome still endemic poverty for tens of millions of Indians, reform the business environment and help revive an economy running at a decade low of 4.7% growth.
A 48-page manifesto, which officials said was largely authored by Gandhi, released on Wednesday, also focused on its traditional welfare policies for the poor, saying millions would be given access to affordable medical care and housing, while all Indians would have a bank account within five years.A 48-page manifesto, which officials said was largely authored by Gandhi, released on Wednesday, also focused on its traditional welfare policies for the poor, saying millions would be given access to affordable medical care and housing, while all Indians would have a bank account within five years.
Opinion polls show that Congress, which has dominated Indian politics since independence, could lose more than half of its seats in the Lok Sabha lower house of parliament when results are announced on 16 May.Opinion polls show that Congress, which has dominated Indian politics since independence, could lose more than half of its seats in the Lok Sabha lower house of parliament when results are announced on 16 May.
The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) and its controversial prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, are widely expected to come to power with the help of small regional parties.The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) and its controversial prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, are widely expected to come to power with the help of small regional parties.
Modi, a popular but polarising figure who has been chief minister of the western Gujarat state since 2001, is also campaigning on a platform of job creation and development.Modi, a popular but polarising figure who has been chief minister of the western Gujarat state since 2001, is also campaigning on a platform of job creation and development.
Officials from the BJP called the Congress manifesto a "document of deceit".Officials from the BJP called the Congress manifesto a "document of deceit".
"This is not a manifesto ... It is a rank insult to the people of the country," Ravi Shankar Prasad, a BJP spokesman, said."This is not a manifesto ... It is a rank insult to the people of the country," Ravi Shankar Prasad, a BJP spokesman, said.
The BJP will release its manifesto next week.The BJP will release its manifesto next week.
Sonia Gandhi, the Congress party president, said she was confident of victory in the elections which are to be held in nine phases, ending on 12 May with counting and results taking place four days later. More than 800 million Indians are eligible to vote. Sonia Gandhi, the Congress party president, said she was confident of victory in the elections, which are to be held in nine phases, ending on 12 May with counting and results taking place four days later. More than 800 million Indians are eligible to vote.
Sonia Gandhi also said Congress stood for a secular India, in a pointed reference to Modi whose critics accuse him of failing as state chief minister to stop riots in Gujarat in 2002 which killed more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. Sonia Gandhi also said Congress stood for a secular India, in a pointed reference to Modi, whose critics accuse him of failing as state chief minister to stop riots in Gujarat in 2002 in which more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, died.
"We want an India which is secular, where which religion you belong to or what language you speak or which region you're from does not matter," she said."We want an India which is secular, where which religion you belong to or what language you speak or which region you're from does not matter," she said.