BJP to launch its manifesto today, 'sankalp patra' to focus on development, national security

The BJP will on Monday release its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls scheduled to start from April 11, with issues of development and national security set to be its key highlights.

Top party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its chief Amit Shah, will be present at the launch of the manifesto, described by the BJP as its "sankalp patra".

A party statement said members of its parliamentary board, the BJP's apex body whose members include Modi, will be present on the occasion.

With the Congress manifesto putting major thrust on welfare measures, including a promise of giving Rs 72,000 to the poorest 20 per cent 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, besides the downtrodden.

Notably, the Modi government has already announced Rs 6,000 per year cash support to small and marginal farmers that will cost the exchequer Rs 75,000 crore annually, in a bid to provide relief to distressed farm sector.

Also, it has announced a 10 per cent job and education quota for "economically weaker" sections, meeting a key demand of upper castes, a staunch BJP support base which has shown signs of a drift from the party.

On Sunday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveiled campaign themes and other materials of the party's election campaign, with "Phir ek baar, Modi sarkar (Modi government, once more)" as the tag line. The highlights of the campaign are government's "befitting" reply to terrorism by "hitting terrorists by entering enemy territory".

Launching the campaign, Jaitley said the choice for people in polls will be between the "cohesive and tested" rule 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.

The BJP has brought the national security plank at its campaign's centre stage following the Balakot air strikes targeting a terrorist camp in Pakistan. It was in retaliation to the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14.

The opposition has accused it of politicising the armed forces' operations against terrorists but the saffron party has used them as an evidence of its government's "decisiveness" and "zero tolerance" for terrorism.

The BJP also Sunday launched a television campaign for the polls focussing on development and welfare steps taken by the Modi-government, including schemes likes 'Kisan Samman' under which farmers will get Rs 6,000 in three installments and initiatives taken under the Swachch Bharat Mission.

Campaign material also emphasised on the "clean image" of the government, India's "growing stature" at the global level, the Ayushmaan Bharat health insurance scheme and actions like "crackdown" on corruption and black money.

The Union minister said these promises are not merely for future as the government has fulfilled them in its five-year term.