Lok Sabha elections 2024: 10 takeaways from BJP manifesto 'Sankalp Patra'

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday morning launched their Lok Sabha 2024 election manifesto at the party headquarters in Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the manifesto in presence of party president J P Nadda and Union Ministers Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Rajnath Singh.

Here are the key takeaways from the saffron party's manifesto:

1. BJP's manifesto focuses on dignity, quality of life; quantity, quality of opportunities, said PM Modi as he went on to share the contents of the 'Sankalp Patra'.

2. This 'Sankalp Patra' strengthens four pillars of viksit Bharat - Yuva shakti, Nari shakti poor and farmers, the prime minister said as he announced that the party will now work at a fast pace to provide households with affordable piped gas.

3. Guaranteeing a secure and prosperous Bharat, the saffron party promises to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

4. The PM via BJP manifesto promised free ration for the poor for the next five years under the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.

5. In Jan Aushadi Kendras, people will get their medicines at a discount of 80 per cent, guaranteed the PM as he assured that if elected to power his government will increase the number of such centres. He also promised that under the Aayushmann Bharat scheme, people will continue getting free healthcare for up to Rs 5 lakh. Moreover, all senior citizens above 70 years of age will come under the ambit of the Ayushman Bharat scheme. He also said that government services will be delivered at doorsteps to ensure seamless access to social security benefits and other essential government services for senior citizens by leveraging the extensive reach and reliability of the postal and digital network.

6. He also promised free electricity to poor households under the Prime Minister Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.

7. Saying that Modi worships those people who are ignored by everyone else, the prime minister announced that the BJP has decided to raise the loan limit under 'Mudra' scheme to Rs 20 lakh from Rs 10 lakh.

8. Integration of women self-help groups (SHGs) with the service sector, enhancing market access for women SHG enterprises: Ensuring development of infrastructure, such as working women's hostels and creches, with a specific focus on locations near industrial and commercial centres to facilitate increased participation of women in the workforce. Expansion of the existing health services, focusing on prevention and reduction of anaemia, breast cancer, cervical cancer and osteoporosis, ensuring a healthy life for women. Launching a focused initiative to eliminate cervical cancer. Implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam to ensure representation of women in Parliament and the state legislatures. With regards to sports, the PM said that women players will be given special benefits. For their health, the party will launch a cervical cancer programme. The part will also put efforts to empower three crore rural women to become "Lakhpati Didis".

9. The prime minister also assured a transparent government recruitment system and the implementation of a law to prevent paper leaks.

10. With respect to farmers, he said that the Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme will be strengthened to provide sustained financial support to farmers. The party will also strengthen the Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana through more technological interventions to ensure speedy and more accurate assessment, faster payouts and quicker grievance resolution. The party also promises to increase the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

11. Other agriculture related promises include: Launching the Krishi Infrastructure Mission for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of agri-infrastructure projects like storage facilities, irrigation, grading and sorting units, cold-storage facilities and food processing; Expansion of irrigation facilities, launching technology-enabled irrigation initiatives to implement cutting-edge technology for efficient water management; Launching an indigenous "Bharat Krishi" satellite for farm-related activities like crop forecasting, pesticide application, irrigation, soil health and weather forecasting.

12. The PM exuded confidence that India will soon become a global food hub as he said that the party will focus on 'Shree Anna' that benefits 2 crore people engaged in its farming.

13. He declared that Birsa Munda’s 125th birth anniversary will be celebrated nationally.

14. Modi also guaranteed that there will be a bullet train in the south, north, and east, survey on which will be start soon, as he assured that work is under way in full pace to finish the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project.

15. The manifesto also talks about the measures that the party will take to make India a global manufacturing hub in various sectors, including electronics, by 2030. While the BJP government working on 6G and creating digital infrastructure for Industry 4.0, the PM also announced that there will be charging stations across the country.

16. The PM also promised that the BJP will make 'One Nation One Election' a reality and bring about the Uniform Civil Code.

17. The manifesto also calls for the inclusion of autorickshaw, taxi, truck drivers and other drivers in all social security schemes, as well as empowerment of small traders and MSMEs through the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to help them expand their businesses using technology.

18. Other notable things from the BJP manifesto include: Resolution of inter-state border disputes among the northeastern states through sustained efforts; Balanced regional development, maintaining peace in the northeast; Quality education, establishing new institutions of higher learning and a focused approach for tribal healthcare, measures to eliminate malnutrition among tribal children and providing comprehensive healthcare services in tribal areas on a mission mode.

(With PTI, DHNS inputs)