New Delhi: BJP Tuesday released the second part of its election manifesto which promised free education from “KG-to-PG” for needy students in government education institutes and assured a Rs 10 lakh insurance and Rs 5 lakh accident cover for domestic helps and auto-taxi drivers. It also pledged a one-time assistance of Rs 15,000 for UPSC aspirants.
In the run-up to the assembly polls, major contenders AAP, BJP and Congress have rained Delhi with freebies and schemes for various sections of the society, including women, students, elderly, auto-taxi drivers, domestic workers, washermen, street vendors, temple priests and gurudwara granthis among others.
Presenting the second part of the BJP’s Sankalp Patra, former Union minister Anurag Thakur said a special investigation team (SIT) will be formed to probe all “irregularities and scams” of the AAP government if the party comes to power in Delhi.
The broad contours of the schemes announced in the manifesto had already been described, a senior BJP leader said, adding that the final modalities and eligibility criteria will be worked out once the party’s government is formed.
Addressing a press conference, Thakur said the party will provide a one-time financial assistance of Rs 15,000 and reimburse fees and travel expenses twice for Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and state civil services examinations.
The BJP also assured that its government in Delhi would launch ‘Dr BR Ambedkar Stipend Yojna’ to provide Rs 1,000 monthly aid to Scheduled Caste (SC) students at polytechnic and skill centres in the national capital.
The saffron party, which last ruled Delhi 26 years ago, has struggled in previous assembly elections, securing only three and eight seats in 2015 and 2020 respectively.
The election to the 70-member Delhi Assembly will take place on February 5. The counting of votes will be undertaken on February 8.
Talking to reporters, Thakur said once the BJP government is formed in the National Capital Territory (NCT), it will form welfare boards for domestic workers and auto-taxi drivers.
Besides, he said, the boards will provide Rs 10 lakh of insurance and Rs 5 lakh of accident cover and offer scholarships to the children of domestic workers and auto-taxi drivers. He also promised six months’ paid maternity leave for the female domestic workers.
Under the PM SVANidhi scheme for street vendors, the number of beneficiaries will be doubled, he said, citing the Sankalp Patra-2.
Thakur alleged that the AAP government had failed to implement the Jal Jeevan Mission in the national capital, reiterating the BJP’s commitment to improve infrastructure and welfare if voted to power.
“Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, water comes from taps even at 17,000 feet in the mountains but the AAP-da (AAP) government did not implement it in Delhi,” he claimed.
Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal described the BJP’s election manifesto as “dangerous for the country”.
The AAP convener alleged that the BJP plans to shut free education in government schools and dismantle free health services including the mohalla clinics if voted to power.
Kejriwal accused the BJP of revealing its “true intentions” in the manifesto and warned voters against supporting the party.
The first part of the BJP’s manifesto for the Delhi polls, Sankalp Patra-1, was released by its national president J P Nadda last week.
The party has already promised Rs 2,500 per month to Delhi women under the ‘Mahila Samriddhi Yojna’ and assured that all public welfare schemes of the outgoing AAP government will continue in the future.
PTI
