The Sankalp Patra: A Confident Manifesto
- Gautam Warrier
- Apr 24, 2024
- 2 min read
Election manifestos are documents that outline a party’s intentions and promises. Building upon the ‘Modi Guarantee’, the BJP’s Sankalp Patra strengthens the party’s welfare pitch through a collection of social upliftment schemes, primarily focused on the 4 ‘castes’ (as christened by PM Modi) — the poor, youth, farmers and women.
The manifesto promises to uphold the free ration supply for the next 5 years under the PM Garib Anna Yojana, along with continuing the Ayushman Bharat Yojana with inclusion of senior citizens and the transgender community. The continuation of the Ujjwala gas connection and free electricity for poor households is also affirmed.
Dropping the 2019 manifesto’s mission to double farmer income, the 2024 manifesto instead places its priority on increasing the Minimum Support Price (minimum selling price to benefit farmers) for crops and the introduction of the Krishi Infrastructure Mission, that coordinates the planning and implementation of agri-infrastructure projects. Furthermore, it aims to enhance irrigation and grain storage facilities, and the PM Kisan Samriddhi Kendra scheme.
The 2024 manifesto addresses the Opposition’s ‘unemployment’ critique, by committing to provide employment opportunities across key sectors, and fill vacant government posts through a transparent process. The manifesto also looks to position India as a global manufacturing and electronics hub by 2030.
The phased removal of AFSPA (the law that grants the Armed Forces special powers to maintain order in disturbed areas) across the North-East is promised by the country’s largest party, along with the repatriation of “idols and artefacts that were taken away illegally from Bharat”.
Unsurprisingly, the BJP pledges to introduce the Uniform Civil Code, the last of its three core ideological projects, in line with Article 44 of the Constitution. The party also commits to implementing the Kovind Committee’s ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposition.
The mission underlined through the manifesto — to turn India into the third largest economy by 2030, reflects the stance with which the BJP approaches the 2024 General Elections, now just 2 days away.
By Gautam Warrier
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