Jharkhand Assembly elections: Here's what BJP, JMM are promising voters

Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday unveiled BJP's manifesto for Jharkhand, assuring that tribal identity will be fully preserved even though the party plans to implement the Uniform Civil Code

With days left for the Jharkhand Assembly elections, various parties have unveiled their poll manifestos, promising a host of reforms to the governance model for the development of the state. The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), buoyed by its performance in Haryana, is hoping to replicate the success in Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

 

For that, the saffron party has promised sweeping reforms in its Sankalp Patra (manifesto), addressing a range of issues such as infiltration, Uniform Civil Code (UCC) among others.

 

Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday unveiled the party’s manifesto for Jharkhand, assuring that tribal identity will be fully preserved by the BJP even though the party plans to implement the UCC in the state.

 

“Hemant Babu, a Uniform Civil Code will certainly be implemented in Jharkhand, but the identity and heritage of the tribal communities will be fully preserved,” he said, targeting the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Chief Minister Soren.

 

The saffron party is contesting the polls with the AJSU, Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).

BJP’s key promises:

1) Among its 25 promises, the BJP said it would "drive out infiltrators" coming from Bangladesh into Jharkhand, one of its key poll planks this season.

 

2) Besides implementing UCC, the BJP assured of “restoring” law and order in the state and returning the land taken away from women.

 

3) The BJP has promised Rs 2,100 per month to every woman of the state if elected to power.

 

4) Other points include 5 lakh employment opportunities for the youth, free LPG gas cylinders on Diwali and Rakshabandhan, house and water connection for 2.1 million families.

JMM’s key promises for Jharkhand

1) To counter BJP’s ‘Gogo Didi’ scheme of providing monetary incentive to women, the ruling party said that it will provide Rs 2,500 under the Hemant Soren government’s Maiyan Samman Yojana.

 

2) Notably, the JMM is yet to launch its official manifesto for the polls but has given some indications about its plans. On border security issues flagged by the BJP, the JMM-Congress alliance countered by saying that it falls under national security, which is the home ministry’s responsibility. The Congress is also yet to issue its manifesto.

 

Elections in Jharkhand will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20. The counting of votes will be done on November 23.