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The BJP released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls on Monday, 8 April, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the focus of their ‘sankalp patra’ is on “one vision, one direction”. Soon after the release, Congress called BJP’s manifesto a “book of gimmicks.”
Union Minister Rajnath Singh, enlisting the highlights of the BJP manifesto, said that the Uniform Civil Code and Citizenship Amendment Bill will be passed in the next five years. He further added that the government will “try to build Ram Mandir soon.”
“The BJP manifesto lists 75 promises for 2022, to mark 75 years of India’s independence,” said Amit Shah, releasing the manifesto.
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Congress President Rahul Gandhi released his party’s “crowd-sourced” manifesto in the presence of Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior Congress leaders on Tuesday, 2 April.
Addressing the party workers and media, Gandhi said that the process of preparing the manifesto began a year ago, and that he did not want a “single lie” in it. He also emphasised on highlighting the “wishes” of the people in the party manifesto.
With the Congress manifesto emphasising on welfare measures, including the promise of a sum of Rs 72,000 to the poorest 20 percent households in India, the ruling party is likely to make a slew of promises to woo different sections of the society, especially farmers, youth and women.
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Sunday, 7 April, launched the party's campaign theme for the Lok Sabha polls and asserted that the choice for people in the elections will be between the "cohesive and tested" government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "chaos and mahamilawat" offered by the Opposition.
Taking a swipe at the Opposition, he said people have to decide between a government led by one captain or a team of 11 players, and that of 40 captains.
BJP President Amit Shah to meet upset BJP veterans LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi – who were dropped from the list of candidates – ahead of manifesto launch at 11 am, reported NDTV.
In a series of tweets, Congress party questioned whether the BJP remembered the promises it made ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
PM Narendra Modi arrives at BJP Headquarters, ahead of the party’s manifesto release. He was received by party president Amit Shah.
Congress leader Jaideep Shergil said that the BJP must release a ‘maafi patr’ and not a ‘sankalp patr.’
The BJP released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls on Monday, 8 April, with a focus on issues of development and national security.
Addressing the gathering, during the release of the BJP’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, BJP President Amit Shah added that India reached “greater heights” under the prime minister.
“The BJP manifesto to make 75 promises for 2022 to mark 75 years of India’s independence,” said Amit Shah.
Shah added that the BJP government has set an example of how a government should function.
He listed the achievements of the Modi government – from electricity, LPG connections and toilets, to “surgical strikes” and improving the economy and claimed that India’s “glory declined from 2004 to 2014.”
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that the last five years were an example of “good governance” and that the vision for the next five years is to build ‘New India.’
He added that the manifesto was built on the basis of ‘mann ki baat’ of the people of India.
Union Minister Rajnath Singh, enlisting the highlights of the BJP manifesto, said that the Uniform Civil Code and Citizenship Amendment Bill will be passed in the next five years.
He also reiterated that there will be zero tolerance towards terrorism.
Rajnath Singh said that the BJP will give Rs 6,000 yearly income support to all farmers, under Kisan Samman Nidhi.
The BJP manifesto also promised the abrogation of Article 370 and removal of the “discriminatory” Article 35A provision in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We are committed to annulling Article 35A of the Constitution of India as the provision is discriminatory against non-permanent residents and women of Jammu and Kashmir,” said Union Minister Rajnath Singh.
Union Minister Arun Jaitley, addressing the gathering, called the BJP manifesto a “vision document,” which was formulated on the basis of nationalism.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that while previous governments gave only slogans, the BJP government has given a “road-map for a continuing government.”
Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj said that while others have presented ‘ghoshna patra’ (a declaration), but the BJP has presented a ‘sankalp patra’.
She said that the manifesto is not just a list of announcements but a pledge made by the party to the people.
Highlighting the diplomatic overtures, awards for PM Modi and invitation to the OIC to make a point about the BJP government’s “positive interaction” with the Islamic nations, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said:
She added that while Narendra Modi recognised the pulse of the nation, Rahul Gandhi did not.
Thanking the Manifesto Committee headed by Rajnath Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that BJP’s ‘sankalp patra’ is “time-bound and well-defined.” He also said that the theme of the manifesto is “one vision, one direction.”
The BJP government will constitute a Jal Shakti Ministry, said PM Narendra Modi.
Water scarcity is a crisis we are facing, said Modi, adding that it is a “deeper problem” in some states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India must become a developed nation by 2047 – a year that also marks 100 years of Independence.
“By 2047, India will be a developed country. But to achieve this foundation, India needs to be led between 2019 to 2024,” Modi said.
Minutes after BJP released their manifesto, the Congress party called it ‘jumla’ and said it was "a book of gimmicks".
“Enough is enough. The people of India have recognised you and your lies very well. Like our manifesto said - ‘Ab hoga nyay’,” said senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said that if Article 35A is scrapped, then he will “end” the state’s accession.
Reacting on the Congress’ ‘maafinama’ remark, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, “Their manifesto doesn't mention as to how to take country towards good governance, how to fight terrorism. It hasn't been able to rise above appeasement and dynasty politics.”
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath said, “It is for the first time that a government has promised a house by 2022, to every poor family. BJP has reiterated its commitment on the Ram temple issue, on Kashmir and Uniform Civil Code. Coming 5 years will be to address aspirations of people.”
Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit on Monday, 7 April, said the BJP's manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls was "full of hollow promises", adding that it was no match to her party's manifesto.
"The BJP manifesto is full of hollow promises and false claims. It cannot come anywhere near the Congress manifesto 'Ham Nibhayenge'," Dikshit said in a statement.
The people of the country had fully understood Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "falsehood", the former Delhi chief minister said, adding that the voters had lost all faith in him and his "hollow promises".
"The BJP manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha election does not have a single meaningful, doable promise, as it is full of jumlebaazi (rhetoric)," Dikshit charged.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump’s campaign strategies are similar as both rely on “playing” with people’s emotions, Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda.
Speaking on ‘political campaigns in the digital era’, Pitroda, a long-time Gandhi family adviser, said digital era is about sound bytes, gimmicks, and videos as opposed to the in depth analysis by journalists earlier.
He said the real use of digital technology in campaigns started visibly during the Obama-era.
The Congress and the BJP “copied” the schemes being implemented by his government in Telangana, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao claimed on Monday.
“Day before yesterday Congress and today BJP announced election manifesto. I am feeling very proud. Both have copied many schemes that the Telangana government has introduced. Both have incorporated in their manifestos,” he said during an election meeting at Vikarabad.
Rao claimed the two parties copied ‘Rythu Bandhu (investment support scheme for farmers) being implemented by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi government.
Realisation was dawning on the two parties and the Congress talked about transfer of powers to States, he said.
The aspirations of the people in the national capital will be fulfilled and traders of the city will be benefitted by the BJP poll manifesto which was released Monday, the party's Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari said.
Eyeing another stint in power, the BJP on Monday made a string of promises, including expeditious construction of a Ram temple, a firm hand in dealing with terrorism and doubling farmers income in the next three years and making India the third-largest economy globally by 2030.
The CPI said the BJP manifesto was a list of new ‘jumlas’ to conceal the betrayal and the broken promises made to the people in the last five years.
CPI national secretary D Raja said the BJP’s manifesto confirms the saffron party is nothing but a political tool of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh whose ideology is "divisive, sectarian, communal and fascist."
"The BJP manifesto is a list of new jumlas (gimmicks) to conceal the betrayal and broken promises of last five years. The BJP has become the Bharatiya Jumla Party," he said.
The Left leader demanded to know what happened to the BJP's alleged promises of Rs 15 lakh in every citizens bank account, "achche din" and 2 crore jobs. .
On the Ram Temple and Sabarimala issue, Raja said the matters were pending in court and still the BJP was making tall promises.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal termed the BJP's manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as a "fresh set of jumlas" and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah did not have the courage to say why demonetisation was done and farmers were pushed towards destruction.
Reminding the prime minister of his party's 2014 promise of granting full statehood to Delhi, Kejriwal said the BJP's 2019 manifesto did not have any mention of it, which meant that Modi was lying and, in turn, making it even more difficult for people to believe him.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed confidence that members from the minority community in the coastal state will vote for the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Sawant said the minority community voters were aware of how Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the nation ahead in the last five years through his “inclusive policies”.
"The minority community voters are educated, they read national newspapers, watch television and are aware about development undertaken by the Modi government. They are with the BJP," the chief minister said.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said if Congress President Rahul Gandhi believes terrorism in not a poll issue then he should give up his Special Protection Group cover.
Addressing a BJP workers meet organised by the party's social media wing, Swaraj said, “Opposition parties cannot feel the pulse of the nation like Prime Minister Narendra Modi can, which is why he managed to give Pakistan a befitting reply after the Uri and Pulwama terror attacks.”
The union minister alleged the Congress does not consider terrorism to be a problem, "which was reflected in the party's election manifesto".
Published: 08 Apr 2019,08:21 AM IST