A day before voting in the first phase of Assembly polls in Gujarat, the ruling BJP on Friday released its poll manifesto (vision document), promising overall and inclusive development in the State.
The party’s poll manifesto was released after the Opposition party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Ahmed Patel slammed the ruling party for not bringing out its manifesto before the polling.
“Gujarat's GSDP growth is highest in India. In the last five years, Gujarat grew at an average rate of 10% amongst large States,” Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said while unveiling the vision document in Ahmedabad.
“The BJP aims to ensure unity in the State and work towards the welfare of all groups,” Mr. Jaitley said, implying that the Opposition party is playing caste and divisive politics in the elections against the BJP.
The ruling party’s manifesto talks of “all inclusive, all pervasive and all-round development,” that's “at par with developed countries” of the world, with “participation” from all sections of society.
Some of the key features of the party’s vision document like building five million dwelling units, bringing fields in Saurashtra under irrigation and providing jobs to youth are mostly repeat from the 2012 manifesto of the party.
However, this year the party has promised to build multispecialty hospitals in Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot and extending the medical insurance up to ₹2 lakh to middleclass families are aimed at attracting urban middleclass, which feels the pinch amidst rising medical costs.
However, unlike the 2012 manifesto, the party has decided not to make any extravagant promises, as the vision document largely revolves around “overall development”and “resolutions” instead of getting into details.
In the previous elections in 2012, the Gujarat BJP, led by then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, had promised to construct 50 lakh houses in the next five years, which was the key highlight of the manifesto.
The manifesto released on December 8 said it has resolved to “double farmers' income through various means, such as cheap fertilisers and seeds, better irrigation, proper Minimum Support Prices and direct access to food processing industries.”
On the Congress party’s promise for quota to Patidars and other upper castes and farm debt waiver, Mr. Jaitely said that its “constitutional impossibility and financial improbability.”
Asserting that the BJP has delivered growth and development in all sectors in the State, Mr. Jaitley termed the Opposition party’s promises as false to win the polls.
Gujarat has a total number of 182 Assembly seats and the polling will be held in two phases on December 9 & 14.
Voting in 89 constituencies of Saurashtra and South Gujarat region will be held in the first phase, while the remaining 93 constituencies in central and northern regions go for polls in the second phase on December 14th while counting is slated on 18th.
Nothing for people: Rahul
"Modi-ji used to say that the BJP will rule in Gujarat for the next hundred years. But he is not saying a single word about the future of Gujarat at his rallies. Why the BJP is not saying in its manifesto what it will do for people of Gujarat,” Rahul Gandhi said while addressing a rally in Gujarat.
"Instead if talking about Gujarat and BJP givernemnt’s performance, Modi-ji talks about Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and so many global issues. This election is not about Modi or (Rahul) Gandhi...it's about the people of Gujarat," he said.
