New Delhi, March 11: The Congress election manifesto is expected to highlight the party’s commitment to continuing the economic reform programme with emphasis on the rural sector’s growth.

Sources said that through the manifesto, cleared by the working committee a couple of days ago, the party would reassure entrepreneurs and the middle class that it would not go back on the reform process if voted to power in the elections.

If anything, the manifesto, likely to be released within the next five days, would press for speeding up the process, the sources added.

However, indications are there would be no revision of the party’s stand on the contentious issue of labour reforms.

The Congress had opposed the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government’s move to amend labour laws which have been perceived as retarding the process of reforms. The reference to this issue in the manifesto is expected to be low key.

There is also unlikely to be any change in the party’s opposition to divesting the profit-making “Navaratna PSUs” (public sector units), though some of them have already been touched by the National Democratic Alliance government, the sources said. “Even Jairam Ramesh (who is known for his strong advocacy of privatisation) is opposed to divesting profit-making PSUs like HPCL and BPCL,” a source said.

The sources, however, said the party might choose not to emphasise its socialism plank. Indeed, the very term may not find mention in the manifesto.

Also unlikely to find mention in the document is the term non-alignment. Indications are the party might use the manifesto to show that it is ready for some new thinking. Whether this means the party would quietly continue with the broad foreign policy line of the Vajpayee government is not clear.

In the social sector, too, the manifesto might play safe. Although there is said to be pressure from within to make a commitment, the manifesto is unlikely to state the party’s readiness to extend reservation to the private sector.

“We will iterate our Shimla resolve that the question of extending job reservation to the private sector should be settled through dialogue and consensus,” said a leader.

The manifesto might avoid the temptation to promise one job to every family. “It may not be a practical promise to make,” the leader added.