Modi pledges Rs 25 trillion to rural, farmers to get Rs 6,000 income yearly

BJP, which is leading in opinion polls, is offering giveaways to stave off a challenge from Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party pledged to spend $1.44 trillion on infrastructure to boost the economy and raise living standards, in a bid to match its main rival’s populist promises.

The BJP, which is seeking a retain power in elections starting April 11, released its manifesto in New Delhi on Monday, reiterating its pledge to double farmer’s income by 2022, improve the GDP share from the manufacturing sector and double exports. It will also scrap Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which grants special concessions to the disputed state of Kashmir.

India’s 263 million farmers are a