In preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party has resurrected NYAY, a key promise from its 2019 manifesto.

The party had initially coined the term as a political slogan and also as a campaign promise five years ago but the pitch then found no resonance among the voters.

However, during a rally in Nagpur on 28 December, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced the party’s commitment to implement the NYAY scheme, promising women an annual support of “at least Rs 60,000-70,000” if the Congress is voted into power, reported by Indian Express.

NYAY, short for Nyuntam Aay Yojana, was first proposed in January 2019 by then-Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

The scheme aims to provide a basic income support to India’s poorest by guaranteeing each eligible family a cash transfer annually.

The Congress party estimates the cost of NYAY to be over one per cent of GDP in the first year and over 2 per cent in subsequent years.

In addition to the NYAY revival, the Congress has announced Bharat Nyay Yatra, a second journey led by senior leader Rahul Gandhi from Manipur to Mumbai, scheduled from 14 January to 20 March.

The yatra is planned with the party’s focus on justice, encompassing economic, social, and political dimensions. It seeks to address issues such as caste representation through a census and critiques of crony capitalism.