‘You Mean Sambit Patra?’: Twitter Takes Dig at BJP’s Sankalp Patra

“It isn’t a ghoshna patra... it’s a sankalp patra,” said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, 8 April, as it (finally) released its manifesto for Lok Sabha elections 2019. But many a bemused Twitter user went ahead and rechristened it – “Sambit Patra”.

#BJPManifesto will be called Sankalp Patra. I think with the kind of lies, unrealistic promises and fake data it will have, it should have been called Sambit Patra.

— Rofl Gandhi (@RoflGandhi_) April 8, 2019

What’s in a Name?

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah, and Rajnath Singh among others waxed eloquent on the manifesto’s agenda and its focus on national security and development, Twitteratti couldn’t seem to let go of the manifesto’s name – sankalp patra.

Sankalp Patra? Any relation to Sambit Patra?#SankalpPatra #BJPManifesto

— Madhavan Narayanan (@madversity) April 8, 2019

Sankalp is the intention (Sambit) Patra is the execution

— Tipusultan Guntaguli (@tipug) April 8, 2019

Last heard that BJP Manifesto is renamed as “Sambit Patra” ;)

— #BhaagMBhaag (@MediaMainstage) April 8, 2019

Beyond Sambit and Sankalp, Twitterati Question BJP’s Claims

Ram Mandir clearly stood out as a constant in the party manifesto, as many on Twitter pointed out.

One promise has remained common in all the BJP Manifestos since the past 23 years -

1996: Ram Mandir
1998: Ram Mandir
2004: Ram Mandir
2009: Ram Mandir
2014: Ram Mandir
2017: Ram Mandir
2019: Ram Mandir

#BJPManifesto

— Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee) April 8, 2019

Like how you have been building a Ram mandir forever, like how you have been rehabilitating Kashmiri Pandits ?#BJPJumlaManifesto https://t.co/eZMkyM9c77

— Udhayakumar P (@UdhayP) April 8, 2019

Others compared the previous manifesto with the new one, questioning the actual progress done in the past five years.

Before releasing 2019 manifesto , BJP must clarify how many poll promises of previous manifesto has been fulfilled? Ans : Zero. #BJPJumlaManifesto https://t.co/MeZ3ivgI2a

— Arun Mysore (@arunmsk) April 8, 2019

BJP manifesto in 2014: "Look what Congress did in 70 years."

BJP manifesto in 2019: "Look what Congress did in 70 years plus Nehru didn't let us do in last five."

— Aisi Taisi Democracy (@AisiTaisiDemo) April 8, 2019

i am 101% sure, 2019 will be the same story.#BJPManifesto pic.twitter.com/RKzhLqgmJx

— Yasmin Sana (@yasminsana11) April 5, 2019

#BJPJumlaManifesto
Before 2014: 🙏🙏🙏

After 2014: 😡😎💪

#BJPJumlaManifesto pic.twitter.com/ln3iwhvvHn

— Abhishek Chouhan (@_Abhishek_CG) April 8, 2019

#BJPJumlaManifesto: ₹25 lakh cr for rural development in the next 5 years. (₹5 lakh cr per year).

Reality: Rural development budget 2019-20: ₹1.2 lakh crore.

Show me the money😜

Source: Hindustan Times website, Feb 2, 2019.

— Salman Anees Soz (@SalmanSoz) April 8, 2019

So there is a stage in which Modi is sitting. In front of the stage there are rows and rows filled with media people.

Here's a crazy idea, why not ask some questions to Modi 😱😱#BJPJumlaManifesto #BJPManifesto

— Sanjukta Basu (@sanjukta) April 8, 2019

#BJPManifesto @arunjaitley says it is not a manifesto prepared either with a "tukde-tukde" mindset or "Ivy-league" mindset but a "nationalist" mindset. Touche !!

— GhoseSpot (@SandipGhose) April 8, 2019

‘Focus on Common Voter’: The Merits of the Manifesto

Apart from jibes, some social media users also mentioned the positives of the manifesto, hailing its ‘achievable’ goals that spoke to the ‘aam voter.’

#BJP manifesto promises a ministry dedicated to water. Very welcome announcement. Hope it gets converted into action swiftly. #water #Elections2019

— Chitra Subramaniam (@chitraSD) April 8, 2019

#BJPManifesto Both the document and speeches of the leaders (succinct and confined to their respective areas - @SushmaSwaraj was the best) are/were grounded and targeted at the Aam Voter (Urban Middle-Class and Rural - farmers and poor). #CongressManifesto on the other hand

— GhoseSpot (@SandipGhose) April 8, 2019