500k jobs, monetary help for women: BJP's initial Jharkhand manifesto

The BJP on Saturday released five key points of its manifesto for the assembly polls in Jharkhand, promising financial assistance of Rs 2,100 to women every month, five lakh jobs to youths and housing for all if the party came to power.

Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi released the Panch Pran' (five vows) here in the presence of Union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Annapurna Devi and Assam Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Assembly polls are due in the eastern state later this year.

The saffron party will release another 25 key points of its manifesto to underline 25 years of Jharkhand's formation and finally a 150-point document, marking the 150th birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda.

Jharkhand was created on November 15, 2000, which also happens to be the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda.

Elaborating on the Panch Pran', Marandi said households in the state will be able to purchase LPG gas cylinders at Rs 500. Besides, two cylinders would be provided free of cost in a year.

He said the party would launch an assured employment drive in the state, with the aim to create five lakh self-employment opportunities for youths in five years.

Apart from this, 2,87,500 vacant posts in government departments will be filled. The appointment process will start after the very first cabinet meeting, and by November 2025, 1.5 lakh posts will be filled, Marandi said.

The party, if it comes to power, would also provide financial assistance of Rs 2,000 under the Yuva Saathi' scheme to graduate and post graduate students for up to two years, so that they could prepare for competitive examinations, he said.

Marandi said the BJP would launch the Gogo-Didi' scheme as part of its mission to empower women, and under the programme, women will get assistance of Rs 2,100 per month.

Housing for all also features among the commitments in the party manifesto. Additionally, 59 lakh households will be provided tap water connections through the Jal Jeevan Mission by 2027, he added.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said schemes like Gogo Didi' have been launched in several BJP-ruled states.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MLA Kalpana Soren criticised the BJP for its proposed scheme for women, dubbing the move as another rhetoric of the saffron party ahead of the assembly polls

I have heard that they (BJP) are making people fill a form of a scheme, which they are bringing in to counter our Maiyan Samman Yojana'. They only deliver jumla' (rhetoric). Be careful, they have duped crores of people several times by making them fill forms across the country, she said at a rally in Ranchi.