BJP's Delhi vows: ₹2,500 for women, cheaper LPG

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday unveiled a bouquet of welfare promises as part of its manifesto for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, pledging ₹2,500 a month to poor women, ₹21,000 one-time aid to pregnant women, LPG cylinders for the poor at ₹500, and ₹2,500 pension for senior citizens.

- Alok KN Mishra

BJP chief JP Nadda revealed the first of the three-part BJP manifesto focussed on women and welfare promises, and said it will serve as the foundation of a "developed Delhi".

"The BJP's resolution for a developed Delhi prioritises the empowerment of women and the welfare of senior citizens," he said. "The BJP does what it says, while the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are known for their lies and betraying the public."

Nadda underlined that all public welfare schemes in Delhi will continue if the BJP formed the government, attempting to counter the AAP's allegation that the BJP will scrap all existing schemes if it wins the February 5 elections. "We will make the schemes free of corruption and strengthen them," said Nadda, urging the people to vote for the BJP.

The AAP hit back, with former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal saying that the BJP's manifesto or sankalp patra was a Kejriwal-patra because it copied the schemes of Delhi's ruling party.

"The BJP is saying vote for us, we will copy what Kejriwal does...the BJP has publicly acknowledged the impact of Kejriwal's welfare schemes and even families of BJP workers take benefit from it. People are saying only Kejriwal can do what he does, there is no point electing BJP," the AAP chief said.

The BJP is hoping to gain power after 27 years in Delhi and stop the AAP from securing a third consecutive full term. The Congress is the third player in a triangular fight, whose results will be announced on February 8.

The BJP is releasing its manifesto in three parts. BJP leaders said that the party is likely to make more welfare promises in the next iterations of the manifesto. An unnamed BJP functionary said it has been planned such to ensure that the party's message reaches a wide audience.