BJP's UP poll manifesto focuses on farmers, women and Hindutva

To woo youth, the Sankalp Patra promises 2 crore tablets and smartphones to graduate and class 12th students and free coaching to those preparing for competitive exams.

The BJP has sought to mollify farmers by offering them free of cost electricity. (Photo | Twitter)

LUCKNOW: The BJP on Tuesday released its manifesto -- Lok Kaylan Sankalp Patra-2022 -- for upcoming UP Assembly elections offering a number of freebies to the people.

Unnerved by the farmers’ anger against it owing to the long-drawn protests over three contentious farm laws which were repealed in November last year, the saffron brigade has sought to mollify farmers by offering them free of cost electricity. Similarly, the party has offered freebies to different sections. The Sankalp Patra offers two cooking gas cylinders free -- on Holi and Diwali -- to the beneficiaries of PM Ujjawala Yojna, it also promises free scooty to college-going meritorious girl students besides offering free travel facilities in all government transports to women above 60 years of age.

To woo youth, the Sankalp Patra promises 2 crore tablets and smartphones to graduate and class 12th students, free coaching to those preparing for competitive exams, and also free sports kits to the sportspersons trained by government sports academies.

Senior party leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, both the deputy CMs of the state, Union minister Anurag Thakur and UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh released the party’s Sankalp Patra while claiming that they had fulfilled 92 per cent of the promises made in Sankalp Patra released in 2017.

To tackle unemployment, the BJP has promised three crore jobs, including jobs to one member of each family in the state, in the next five years.

In the manifesto, the party maintained its pitch on issues like ‘Love Jihad’ over which the Yogi government had brought a bill as well. The party has further promised jail of 10 years and a penalty of Rs 1 lakh to violators of the ‘love jihad’ law. While promising continued tirade against mafia and land sharks, BJP has vowed to act against corruption by setting-up anti-corruption units across 18 divisions of the state.

The party has maintained its focus on Hindutva and has promised to set up a Ramayan University for research on culture, shastras, and Lord Ram in Ayodhya where the construction of the Ram temple is underway. A board to execute welfare schemes for saints, priests and purohits has also been promised. Similarly, the party seeks to launch an online Integrated Temples Information System (ITIS) to facilitate the devotees to get all the information including the routes to various temples across the state.

BJP MANIFESTO HIGHLIGHTS

FOR FARMERS

• Free electricity to all farmers in next five years
• Grants for borewells, tubewell to small & marginal farmers
• MSP for potato, tomato, onion
• MSP for cane and paddy to be fortified
• Rs 25,000 crore ‘Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Agri-Infrastructure Mission’ to set up cold chain centres, godowns, processing units across the state
• Rs 5000 crore for modernisation of sugarcane mills.
• Payment to sugarcane farmers within 14 days and, in case of delay, payment to be done with interest
• As many as 6 ‘Mega Food Parks’ to be developed in the state
• Nishadraj boats 40 per cent subsidy scheme for boatmen community

FOR WOMEN

• Grant under kanya Sumangla Yojana to be raised from 15,000 to 25,000
• Rs 1 lakh financial assistance under Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Yojana (CM community marriage scheme)
• Two free LPG cylinders on Holi and Diwali under the Ujjwala scheme
• Free travel to women over 60 years of age
• Rs 1000 crore Mission Pink Toilet
• Widow, destitute pension to be raised to Rs 1500
• To double the number of women workforce in UPPSC and other govt jobs
• Free Scooty to college-going meritorious girls
• Ayushman Bharat benefit to Anganwadi workers
• Rs 5 lakh financial assistance to women athletes

FOR EDUCATION

• Setting up of smart schools
• Modernisation of 30,000 secondary schools, as well as colleges, of the state.
• With modern infrastructure and world-class facilities, universities, including Aligarh's Raja Mahendra Pratap University and Maharja Suheldev University in Azamgarh, Sahkubhari Devi university in Saharanpur
• Digital research institutes will be set up in Lucknow and Noida.
• Degree college in each of 18 divisions across state

FOR EMPLOYMENT

• At least one job/job opportunity to each family
• Filling of all vacancies in the government sector
• Expansion of Abhuydaya free coaching facility
• 2 crore tabs and smartphones to be given to young students
• Major Dhyanchand Sports Infra mission

FOR HEALTH

• Medical college in each district
• 6 mega health parks
• Dialysis unit in each district
• TB free UP by 2025
• Appointment of 6000 doctors, 10,000 paramedical staff

GOOD GOVERNANCE

• Minimum 10-year jail and Rs 1 lakh penalty for love jihad convicts
• Anti-terror commando units
• Cyber help desk in each police station across the state
• Sprucing up Housing facility for policemen

ECONOMY/INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

• UP to be No 1 economy of the country
• Rs 10lakh crore investment target for next 5 years
• UP to be No 1 in ease of doing business
• To double export and employment opportunity through ODOP
• To set up industrial corridors along all five expressways.
• To generate 5 crore employment
• 3 modern data parks to be set up
• 4 lakh jobs in electronic manufacturing cluster
• 2 lakh employment under Mega leather cluster
• 5 lakh jobs in Global textile hub

INFRA DEVELOPMENT

• Har Ghar Nal (tap water) goals to be achieved by 2024
• 5 expressways to be completed
• Metro projects in Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Bareilly, Jhansi, and Prayagraj
• Ayodhya International airport to be completed
• 2000 new buses for rural connectivity

ALL-ROUND DEVELOPMENT

• Annapurna canteen to give meals at minimum price
• Free coaching to all OBC students
• Caste certificate to Dalits to be issued in 15 days
• 100% financial assistance to Dalit students admitted to institutes of repute
• State Ashram Schools for Dalit students
• Pension for elderly, physically challenged to be raised to Rs 1500
• Rs 1 lakh collateral-free loan to construction labourers
• Free life insurance to construction labourers
• Free education to children of construction workers
• Rs 5 lakh health insurance to auto/rickshaw drivers

CULTURE

• Cultural centres in the name of Valmiki, Nishadraj and Ambedakar
• Grand memorial for King Suheldev in Bahraich
• Ramayana University in Ayodhya
• Special board to help saints, priests
• Rs 10,000 crore Film City in Noida
• Financial subsidy up to Rs 2 crore, power subsidy, tax subsidy to films shot in UP
• Lata Mangeshkar Performing Arts Akademi