The Congress party has decided to take the preparation for its election manifesto for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections to the grassroots level. Amidst the ongoing internal impasse regarding organizational elections and the formation of committees, the Manifesto Committee is currently the only body actively working on election preparations.
On July 1, MP Dr. Amar Singh was entrusted with the leadership of the Manifesto Committee, one of several committees constituted by the All India Congress Committee. The committee has held two official meetings so far. Now, a district-level manifesto campaign is set to launch in Amritsar on September 11. Under this initiative, the committee will engage directly with people from various sections of society to gather their concerns and suggestions. In an exclusive conversation with *Dainik Jagran*, Manifesto Committee Chairman Dr. Amar Singh stated that the Congress does not intend to draft the manifesto solely at the party level this time; instead, it will be formulated with full public participation.
**Drug Menace, Gangsterism, and OPS to be Key Manifesto Issues**
He explained that the district-level programs—starting in Amritsar—will involve dialogues with representatives from various sectors, including farmers, the industrial community, students, government employees, and the youth. MLAs and MPs from the respective areas will also interact with the public during these events and convey their issues and suggestions to the Manifesto Committee.
According to Dr. Amar Singh, critical issues in Punjab currently include the drug menace, gangsterism, employment for the youth, improved education and healthcare facilities, and farmers’ concerns. Pending demands of employees, the regularization of contractual staff, and the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) will also be major issues in the manifesto. He stated that suggestions from every section of society would be taken seriously and incorporated into the 2027 election agenda. **Meetings with senior Congress leaders also planned soon.**
The committee chairman stated that the goal is to prepare the manifesto draft and submit it to the Congress High Command within two to three months. He stated that if a Congress government is formed, the public-interest issues included in the manifesto will be implemented on a priority basis.
Dr. Amar Singh mentioned that the manifesto committee would soon hold a meeting with all senior Punjab Congress leaders. Time has been sought from these senior leaders to ensure that the maximum number of them can attend and offer their suggestions. He added that the political experience and ground-level feedback of senior party leaders would be given due importance while drafting the manifesto.
