BJP Manifesto: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to launch its 'Sankalp Patra' for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on Sunday morning at the BJP Headquarters Extension. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present for the unveiling, as reported by PTI. The party's manifesto is anticipated to highlight significant pledges, including the proposal for 'One Nation, One Election' and the ambitious goal of positioning India as the world's third-largest economy. With a focus on welfare and development, the BJP's manifesto is anticipated to outline its vision for 'viksit Bharat' (developed India), which will likely be a central theme of its election agenda.
This event coincides with the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, a prominent figure from the Dalit community and a key architect of the Indian Constitution.
As the BJP government has already fulfilled many of its core ideological promises, such as the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the revocation of Article 370, attention will be drawn to how the party's broader cultural and Hindutva agenda is reflected in the manifesto.
According to party sources cited by PTI, the manifesto will highlight measures aimed at benefiting various sections of society, including youth, women, farmers, and the economically disadvantaged. These four groups, often referenced by Prime Minister Modi, are expected to feature prominently in the BJP's electoral promises.
Last month, BJP President JP Nadda appointed the Election Manifesto Committee for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh leading the committee. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was designated as the convener, while Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal served as the co-convener.
The committee comprised esteemed members such as Bhupender Yadav, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Kiren Rijiju, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupender Patel, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Vishnu Deo Sai, Mohan Yadav, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje, Smriti Irani, Jual Oram, Ravishankar Prasad, Sushil Modi, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Vinod Tawde, Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, O.P. Dhankar, Anil Antony, and Tariq Mansoor.
The manifesto committee met twice to discuss various proposals after the party conducted extensive exercises, including sending vans across the country and launching social media campaigns, to gather suggestions from the public
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Lok Sabha Election 2024: BJP VS Congress Over 'Nyay Patra'
The reaction of the Congress party to the BJP's manifesto release will be to watch out for, particularly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent remarks accusing the Congress's 'Nyay Patra' of bearing a "Muslim League" imprint. The Congress party leaders have taken this issue to the Election Commission of India (ECI), denouncing PM Modi's comments.
Responding to PM Modi's allegations, senior Congress leader Kharge stated, “All that PM Modi thinks about is dividing the country on religious lines and polarising the people. It seems he hasn’t properly read our manifesto. We have promised jobs for the youth, Rs 1 lakh annually to every woman, MSP guarantee to farmers, among other pledges. Are these benefits only for a certain community? They themselves were associated with the Muslim League. They should revisit their own history to understand things better.”
Further, Randeep Surjewala, the national spokesperson for the Congress, rebuffed PM Modi's criticisms, stating, “It seems PM Modi isn’t mindful of the dignity of the position he holds. All that we have promised is Rs 1 lakh annually to every woman. How does it concern Hindus or Muslims? The reality is PM Modi is still trapped in 1925, while the country achieved independence in 1947.”
PM Modi, branding the Congress manifesto as a "bundle of lies," has alleged that it harbours intentions of fragmenting India. He drew parallels between the manifesto and the ideology of the Muslim League during India's independence era.