Gujarat Polls 2012: What BJP's Manifesto Has To Offer

The Gujarat BJP on Monday released its manifesto, which it hoped will outdo the main Opposition Congress' own schemes in the forthcoming Gujarat assembly elections.

Accompanied by BJP leader Arun Jaitley at a public event in Ahmedabad, Chief Minister Narendra Modi promised more employment opportunities for over 30 lakh youth in the state and the setting up of specialty hospitals in several cities and towns if the party is voted to power, NDTV reported.

Besides promising affordable housing, the party has also announced plans for urban and rural development, empowerment of women and children, opening courts for women in more talukas and high education.

Seeking to boost the irrigation sector in the rural areas, the BJP announced a ₹4125 crore plan that would provide irrigation facilities for famers and is also expecting to increase its irrigation land by 16 lakh hectares. It also promised to tap newer sources of energy and will seek to double its power generation by 2017, the news service said.

The manifesto, which was chalked out in the past six months, received around 1,200 before its formulation, Daily Bhaskar reported.

The BJP hopes its manifesto will outdo Congress' ambitious schemes, particularly its 'Ghar Nu Ghar' project that drew tremendous response since its announcement in August. Among other promises made by the Congress should it come to power include providing free laptops to students, sops to state government employees and reducing VAT on fuels like petrol and diesel.

In a direct attack on the Congress and its developmental model, Modi on Saturday appealed to the people of Gujarat to vote for the BJP. "They (Congress) will face the worst defeat in Gujarat. The entire country is being crushed under the sins committed by the UPA Government at the Centre," Modi told PTI.

"Congress's misrule, corruption, inflation and neglect of the common man will result in a unprecedented victory for the BJP," he added.