Named ‘Modi’s guarantee’, BJP manifesto in MP tries to outshine Congress promises
Free ration for the poor five years, financial help to “Ladli Behna” along with a permanent shelter, LPG cylinder at Rs 450, job or self-employment opportunity for at least one person in each family, better remuneration for wheat and rice growers, new IIT and AIIMS and 6 new expressways and upgradation of 80 railway station are some of the election promises made by the BJP in its manifesto “Modi ki guarantee BJP ka bharosa” for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly election for which voting is due on 17 November.
The BJP released its manifesto in Bhopal in the presence of BJP National President J.P. Nadda, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state president V.D. Sharma. Nadda said over the years the importance of vision documents and manifestoes has gone down as other parties don’t keep their word. The BJP is the only political party which implements its poll promises in the right spirit. The party makes a road map for the government and monitors the implementation of its manifesto, he said.
On the health front, the BJP promised the voters in the state that it would double the number of hospital and ICU beds and invest Rs 20,000 crore to upgrade and offer hi-tech medical facilities.
Other promises made by the BJP to woo the 5.6 crore voters in the state include financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to each girl child up to the age of 21 years; skill training to 15 lakh rural women to make them Rs 1-lakh entrepreneurs; allocation of Rs 3 lakh crore for tribal welfare schemes; government procurement of wheat at the rate of Rs 2,700 per quintal and rice at the rate of Rs 3,100 per quintal.
For the 22 lakh first-time voters and college students, the BJP announced that from KG to PG studies girls from poor families will get free education. Children of all poor families would get free education till Class XII. In areas with high density of tribals, Eklavya schools and medical colleges will be opened to raise the level of education among the community. The party also promised free midday meals in all government schools. Ahead of the release, the Chief Minister said, “The manifesto is the roadmap for a prosperous and developed Madhya Pradesh and welfare of the public. In this tenure, other than the manifesto, we made schemes like the Ladli Bahna Yojana and Mukhyamantri Seekho Kamao Yojana (Learn and Earn Scheme).”
“The manifesto has a vision of taking Madhya Pradesh forward on the path of progress and development. Be it infrastructure, good health, investment, employment, tourism, rural or urban development or the welfare of every section of the society, be it farmers, poor or women… We fulfilled the promises we made and will fulfil the promises we are going to make because we do what we say,” he said.
Voting in Madhya Pradesh is due on 17 November. It is one of the five states where elections are being held under. Counting of votes will take place on 3 December. Voters in MP will choose legislators from 230 Assembly constituencies.
The Congress, BJP’s main rival in the state, had announced its manifesto last month in one of its toughest bid to end the BJP’s two-decade rule. The party made various promises including Rs 25 lakh health insurance cover to all, 27 per cent reservation for OBCs, and an IPL team of the state.
The Congress offered seven rights—to home, water, health, education, fertiliser, employment and minimum income—and listed 59 promises in its 106-page manifesto. The party announced waiver of farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh and an assistance of Rs 1,500 per month to women. LPG cylinders at Rs 500, free 100 unit electricity, free school education, implementation of the Old Pension Scheme and unemployment allowance for youth ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 were some of the promises listed in the Congress manifesto.