In its manifesto for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made a number of bold promises, including the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, the creation of 10 lakh manufacturing jobs, and the designation of Bengaluru as the State Capital Region.
The BJP Praja Pranalike document was presented today in Bengaluru by JP Nadda, the party’s national president. Among those present at the event were veteran party leader BS Yediyurappa and Chief Minister Basavaraj S. Bommai.
Speaking to the media, Nadda claimed that the manifesto was not created following discussions in an air-conditioned space, and that party members had travelled to all parts of the state to gather information.
The BJP’s goal for the state, according to Nadda, is “justice for all, appeasement for none.” He added that the “unconstitutional” reservation for Muslims had been eliminated by the party-run state government.
The Basavaraj Bommai-led cabinet made the decision to divide the 4% Muslim reservation equally between the Lingayats and Vokkaligas, two politically significant caste groups in Karnataka, just before the elections were called.
The opposition has voiced against the decision, and the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) have pledged to reinstate the reservation if they are elected.
The party, which will face a challenging electoral contest in the state this time, has claimed that its promises will modify every aspect of society. According to the statement, the state will implement the Uniform Civil Code “based on the recommendations given by a high-level committee which is to be formed for the purpose.”
The party has also committed to the “speedy deportation of all illegal migrants” and the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). A fixed deposit scheme for women from scheduled castes and tribes, monthly ration kits for households residing below the poverty line, and a plan to turn Karnataka into a centre for electric-vehicle development.
Additionally, the party has pledged to provide BPL families with three free cooking gas cylinders per year, one for each of the festivals of Yugadi, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Deepavali.
The Congress has not yet released its manifesto, despite its intense campaigning for victory this time. The opposition party made various campaign promises including 200 free power units for all homes, 10 kg of rice for BPL households, Rs 2,000 per month in assistance for the woman head of every family, and Rs 3,000 per month in allowance for unemployed graduates.
The Janata Dal (Secular), the opposing party in the anticipated three-way election battle, has pledged to pass legislation giving Kannadigas a reservation in the private sector. Additionally, it has stated that it will ask the central government to hold Kannada versions of the civil services and defence recruitment exams.
The BJP’s manifesto also pledges to create a consultative committee to enhance the “ease of living” for Bengaluru flat dwellers. It has declared that it will start an initiative to encourage interaction between industrial training facilities and small and medium-sized businesses. At the school level, the BJP has pledged to implement a plan; whereby the state government will collaborate with notable people and organisations to upgrade state-run schools.
The manifesto also promises to improve access to public healthcare by building diagnostic clinics in each municipal ward and providing elderly people with free yearly health check-ups.
The party has pledged to provide farmers with a Rs 30,000 crore fund to establish gram panchayat-level agro-processing units, modernisation committees for agricultural produce, and micro cold storage facilities.
The manifesto included a Rs 1,500 crore plan to develop a number of circuits and corridors to make Karnataka the ‘top tourist destination’ in the nation. Additionally, it has pledged to identify 10 lakh housing sites for the homeless.
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