Cheap LPG, govt jobs in BJP's Raj poll vows

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday released its manifesto for the upcoming elections in Rajasthan, focussing on welfare schemes for farmers, women and marginalised sections, and promising to initiate a probe into alleged corruption by the incumbent Congress government.

- Urvashi Dev Rawal

In Jaipur, party chief JP Nadda released the manifesto that promised ₹2 lakh savings bonds for girls, 250,000 government jobs in five years, ₹2,700 per quintal as wheat bonus above the minimum support price announced by the central government, a scheme to protect the Aravalli mountain range, as well as cooking gas cylinders for ₹450 to beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme.

"For other parties, the manifesto is just a formality. For the BJP, the manifesto is a road map for development, it's a commitment to the people," Nadda said.

He said the major focus areas of the manifesto were development, fulfilling the principle of "sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas", empowerment of women, poor, marginalised, scheduled castes and tribes, and farmers, and strengthening infrastructure.

"The Congress is synonymous with corruption. On the other hand, the BJP means development and progress," he said.

Rajasthan goes to the polls on Friday for 200 seats. The BJP is hoping to take advantage of the state's political tradition of voting out the incumbent and dislodge the Ashok Gehlot government.

Nadda attacked the CM. "Gehlot's family has received contracts worth ₹11,000 crore. This shows how the Congress promotes dynasty, and corruption and Gehlot is an example of this," he said.