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INDIA-BJP-MANIFESTO
BJP announces polls manifesto to fulfill “people’s expectations”
By Aminul Islam Mirja
NEW DELHI, April 8, 2019 (BSS) – India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) today announced its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha parliamentary
elections making 75 pledges to fulfill “peoples’ expectations” visibly in its
efforts to balance nationalist policies with development talk, three days
ahead of the start of elections.
“Nationalism is our inspiration,” Prime Minidster Narendra Modi said after
releasing the BJP’s election manifesto, the ‘Sankalp Patra’ at its
headquarters in New Delhi, as supporters chanted “Modi, Modi”.
The rightwing party said it was committed to build a grand temple for
Hindu god Rama “as soon as possible in a harmonious way” and pass a
citizenship bill that would grant Indian nationality to Hindus from
neighbouring countries.
Simultaneously the party pledged to revise income tax brackets to help the
middle-class saying it would also extend an annual handout of 6,000 rupees
(US$86) and introduce a pension scheme for small and marginal farmers infuse
more than US$300 billion for rural development.
“We are committed to further revise the tax slabs and the tax benefits to
ensure more cash and greater purchasing power in the hands of our middle
income families,” the BJP said.
Uniform Civil Code, border security and a zero-tolerance policy towards
terrorism are some of the other key features of the manifesto, read out by by
Union Minister Rajnath Singh in presence of Modi, party chief Amit Shah and
its parliamentary board members.
Political analysts expected BJP to retain power after the general election
but with a much smaller mandate India amid concerns over a shortage of jobs
and weak farm prices.
BJP announced its ‘Sankalp Patra’ a week after its main rival Indian
National Congress unveiled its manifesto with its president Rahul Gandhi
promising to introduce Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) — generating job
opportunities for 400,000 youths, presenting a separate “Kisan Budget” every
year and doubling education budget.
The two parties, however, announced simultaneously their campaign themes
in the capital yesterday, four days before the first phase of polling begins
in 91 constituencies under 20 states.
BJP’s campaign theme is “Phir Ek Baar, Modi Sarkar” (A Modi government
again) while the Congress’s is “Ab Hoga NYAY” (Justice now, but also a play
on the party’s promised income guarantee scheme NYAY).
Modi told the manifesto launching ceremony that India would conduct all
trade movement with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan through integrated check-
posts after completion of 14 more such check-posts by next four years.
He said that BJP would focus on creation of developmental and other
necessary infrastructure in border areas to ensure frontier security and
ensure the frontier regions enhanced stake in India’s development.
But it vowed to strip decades-old special rights from the people of Jammu
and Kashmir, as BJP consistently advocated an end to Kashmir’s special
constitutional status, which prevents outsiders from buying property there,
arguing that such laws have hindered its integration with the rest of India.
The BJP manifesto, however, said the party would take forward India’s
‘Neighbourhood First’ policy “by extensively leveraging forums such as
BIMSTEC to accelerate regional coordination and economic co-operation with
countries in our neighbourhood.
But it simultaneously promised to would ensure passage of Citizenship
Amendment Bill to offer citizenship to religious minorities from Bangladesh,
Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The first phase of the seven-phase election is scheduled to take place on
April 11 while the last one is due on May 19.
According to election commission, nearly 90 crore voters will be eligible
to vote for 543 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country.
BSS/AIM/AR/1833 HRS