Election Manifesto
Parliament Elections 2004

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Introduction

The Nationalist Congress Party, though a new party formed in 1999 is the true inheritor of the legacy of our great National Leaders who led the freedom struggle and established the new secular, democratic socialist sovereign Republic of India. NCP is the party that imbibes the spirit of the freedom struggle led by the founding father of the nation: which lies in Individual freedom:- social, economic and political.

What the NCP Stands for:-

The ideologies of the party are based on the principles and values of democracy, secularism, equity and Social Justice and the Unity and integrity of India.

Democracy would be seen as the holistic outcome of the practice of secularism, establishment of equity and social justice and maintaining the unity and integrity of the country.

Secularism to us means fraternity amongst followers of all faiths, respecting each other's faith and co existence among them without any kind of discrimination.

Equitable social order where everybody will have equal right to education and skill development and affirmative action for that purpose in favour of the depressed classes is the central objective of the NCP.

The NCP would sustain the Unity and integrity of India by strengthening the forces of federalism, especially through acts of decentralization of power and the rule of law without any discrimination based on religion, caste, community, sex, status or place of residence.

Hardly 90 days the party was born in 1999 the acceptability of the party was tested in the elections to the Parliament. The party was welcomed by the people, electing eight members to the Lok Sabha. Evaluating the electoral performance of the Party the Election Commission of India conferred the National Status to the NCP

Track record of BJP - NDA - Government

Now, the government has imposed a premature election to the Parliament for reasons best known to them.

The 41/2 years of the BJP - NDA rule has neglected the Agricultural sector, multiplying the misery of the farming community, increasing the unemployment of the agricultural labourers, throwing more and more industrial workers out of employment resulting in increased poverty and starvation. The weaker sections, the scheduled castes and scheduled Tribes are the worst hit by the anti poor policies of the Govt.

The track record of BJP-NDA Government is a dirty list of scams extending from the Defence deals and UTI scandals to the shady sale and disinvestment of Public assets and public sector undertakings.

Why the NCP decided for secular alliance

These years have seen the concerted efforts by communal fascist forces with the support of the Govt. wherever they are in power trying to ruin the secular fabric of the nation, dividing the people on communal lines, terrorizing the people by engineering and encouraging communal conflicts and clashes and spreading the hate culture. They have announced that their communal agenda has been kept in abeyance as they didn't have absolute majority in the Parliament.

So it has become imperative on the part of all secular forces in the country to resist the communal forces from
coming to power once again after the elections. Under the circumstances NCP has decided to fight the ensuing elections to the Parliament in alliance with Congress (I) and other secular parties on the basis of a common minimum programme so that it can be possible to give a one to one fight to the BJP and the government in the ensuing elections.

The BJP-NDA government's claim of development is hollow as it has had no impact on the lives of the people. In a democracy well being of the majority of the population is the criterion for assessing development in the Country. The main issues of the farming community, the crisis in the domestic industries, the growing unemployment and the consequent poverty, the question of equity and social justice were all kept at the back seat in the economic agenda of the government.

Issues that NCP would highlight

Therefore, the problems of the unemployed youth, the desperate farming community and the perishing domestic industries, the growing poverty and the prevailing illiteracy are some of the areas that need prompt action by the government.

Guided by Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of self reliance and self sufficiency and based on Nehruvian concept of a Mixed Economy, equal importance would be given to the Public sector, the Private Sector and the Joint Sector Enterprises in the reconstruction of Indian Economy.

The main stress of the NCP would be to put the economic reforms of the Country on the proper track so as to ensure a better life for the people. We will provide a development oriented, transparent and corruption free government.

Political Stability

Political stability is a pre-condition for a development oriented economy. But political stability is not the mere
continuation of a government for a specific period of time, it is the stability of the ideological conviction of the political leadership and their ability to lead the country towards the achievement of the economic and social goals set out by the constitution before the country.

Fixed Term for Lok Sabha

We stand for a Constitutional Amendment to provide a fixed term for the Lok Sabha.

Legislation would be passed for cleansing politics and electoral process of criminalisation and the influence of money power.

Formation of New States

Considering the problem of regional disparities and the popular agitation for the creation of a separate state in that region, the demand for the formation of such a state will be supported by the party if it is found economically viable as well.

We support the Legitimate demand of the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands for statehood and full State Status for Delhi.

Centre-State Relations

As we have a federal system, different political parties opposing each other are at the healm of affairs, some in the Centre and others in the different states and as the mutual co-operation and coordination of these governments are essential for development of the country, the union government would handle the problems of all the states with a national perspective and maintain cordial Centre-State relationship without giving room for any kind of discrimination, political or other to come in-between.


National Security

National Security of the Country is of prime importance and so specific measures would be taken to strengthen the National Security of the Country.

Ensuring Co-ordinated operations of Defence Services. Maintaining long term alert on our national borders.

Taking vigilant and sustained diplomatic action for ensuring protection of national security and territorial integrity of the country.

Establishment of a permanent Pay Commission for Defence Personnel.

Foreign Policy

The main thrust in our foreign policy would be the following:-

To play a proactive role to make the United Nations reflect the world opinion against unprovoked aggression either military or economic, against any other Country.

Maintain an Independent Indian position on all world affairs.

Ensure universal non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament.

Ensure better relations with all our neighbors and try to solve all disputes through negotiations.

keep up commercial diplomacy side by side with political diplomacy with all leading nations of the world.

Strengthen diplomatic ties to ensure membership for India in the Security Council.

Management of Economy

The rosy picture of economic growth as painted by the government through their statical reports has no bearing on the life of the people.

Economic growth would be worked out as reflected in life of the common man.

Economic reforms process would be continued with necessary safeguards for domestic concerns.

Credit facilities on easy terms for agriculture and small industries sectors would be made available.

Effective steps to contain inflation would be taken.

Agriculture

The wrong policies pursued by the government in the agricultural sector has ruined the entire farming community, driving many of their families to commit suicide. The following measures would therefore be taken immediately to revitalize the agricultural sector.

Substantial investment would be made in agricultural infrastructure, improved irrigation facilities, power supply at reasonable rates, extension of roadways, railway lines to facilitate easy access of agricultural areas to Railway Stations and ports.

Farming would be diversified by introducing Commercial and Export Oriented Crops, Floriculture, Horticulture and so on.

Co-operative movement would be encouraged in the farming sector including Dairy farming so as to ensure higher productivity and better price for their products.

Steps would be taken to ensure remunerative prices to agricultural products.

Protective measures as provided for in W.T.O. agreement to help the domestic producers to meet the global competition would be taken.

Financial support and marketing assistance to promote exports would be provided.

Comprehensive Crop Insurance scheme would be introduced.

Sufficient Compensation to farmers for damages caused by Natural calamites like floods and draught and financial assistance to resume cultivation would be paid.

Industry

The implementation of the new economic reforms in a hurried and haphazard manner without providing the infrastructure facilities or making the ground work, instead of opening up the world market to Indian Industries, left the doors of our domestic markets wide open to foreign goods with the result that our domestic markets are flooded with foreign products and many of our small and medium Scale Industries are either closed down or are sold out to multinational companies out-right or by share participation.

The following steps would be taken to save our industries from further disaster and to boost up the morale of industrialists to meet the global challenge.

Sustained reforms of Industrial Sector to meet the growing market competition in world economy would
be continued.

Technological and managerial training to domestic industrialists for modernization and diversification of products would be organised.

Financial and marketing assistance for export oriented industries would be provided.

Disinvestments would be made on specific norms only and the procedure would be made transparent.

PSUs of strategic importance would not be disinvested.

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