LS polls: 10 free LPG cylinders, changing FRBM, nixing CAA in TMC manifesto

Also talks about amending the Constitution to ensure that governors are appointed in consultation with state legislatures

The Trinamool Congress has proposed a cap on prices of cooking gas, petrol, and diesel “at affordable levels” in its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, on Wednesday.

It proposed several social welfare schemes, spoke of “firmly” preserving the federal rights of the states and promised to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) if the Opposition INDIA bloc were to form a government at the Centre. It has proposed to offer 10 cylinders a year to poor households free of cost.

“We promise to control petrol and diesel prices through the formulation of a price stabilisation fund. We also promise to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and stop the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in the country,” senior Trinamool leader Amit Mitra said in Kolkata. The party said in its manifesto that it will introduce a “price ceiling” on natural gas and oil.

The Trinamool said it will advocate amending Article 155 of the Constitution to ensure that governors are appointed in consultation with state legislatures. It said it will further amend the Centre’s “asymmetric” Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) “restrictions on states”. The party said it rejects the ‘one nation, one election’ and favours restoring the Planning Commission.

The manifesto has committed to reforming the Constitution to safeguard the stability of state governments, make the anti-defection law more stringent and institute a commission to oversee the appointments of the Supreme Court and High Courts judges based on merit and eligibility, instead of reciprocity. It said there should be a three-year “cooling-off period” before retired judges can accept government appointments or political positions.

It also proposed to introduce legislation for a new ‘Digital Liberties Bill’, and take measures to end political interference in government institutions and agencies, such as the Reserve Bank of India, Income Tax department, Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The party has said West Bengal will be officially renamed ‘Bangla’. The Bengal Legislative Assembly had earlier passed a proposal on this and sent it to the Centre in 2018.

The party maintained that it remains a part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, although it had rejected any seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress in West Bengal.

The TMS manifesto also promised to double Bengal’s exports, reducing its poverty to below one per cent, increasing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) wages to Rs 400 a day, offering five kilograms of ration at the doorstep of poor households and increasing old age pension.