With less than a week to go for 2019 Lok Sabha Polls and Odisha state polls that are slated to be clubbed, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress released their manifesto for the state on Sunday highlighting the agendas of Women, farmers, and unemployment. To influence the people of Odisha, Bjo has promised the people to make ‘Puri’ as the cultural capital of the country.
BJP president Amit Shah released the party manifesto on April 7, Sunday. Amit Shah released the ‘Sankalp Patra’ for a ‘new Odisha’ in the presence of senior leaders of the party.
The party has anchored its manifesto around women declaring the death penalty of the rapists of the girls who are under the age of sixteen. Inclining towards the farmers and their problems, the party has promised ₹1 lakh crore investment in the irrigation. The party has also promised to fill the vacant government jobs in the country by 2024.
On the other side, the opposition party counter attacked the ruling party by presenting its manifesto, leading with NYAY that states the monthly income for the poorest 20 percent. The manifesto also held the provision of jobs for every family. The manifesto reiterated its promises of waving off the loan up to ₹2 lakhs to the farmers. Congress has also extended the financial assistance of ₹10,000 and an increase in minimum support price to ₹2,600 per quintal. The party has promised the land to landless laborers and shelter to the homeless. It included a stipend of ₹3000 for the people who are jobless.
The BJP government aims at bringing zero interest rate loans to farmers and an uninterrupted 8 hours of the power supply. The party aides at giving an MSP that is 1.5 times the cost of the input. The Congress party has promised to return unused land acquired by the state. Both the parties promised old age pensions to the landless and agricultural laborers. They have also promised legislation to recognize the rights of sharecroppers.
BJP has ‘crime against women’ high on its agenda in its Sankalp Patra. Capital punishment of rapists of girls below the age of sixteen. The BJP has promised fast track court and a special state police team to investigate crimes against women. The Congress has promised to reserve 33 percent of the seats in parliament and state assembly and government jobs for women.
Both the parties have promised to refund the money of the people who lost it in the chit-fund companies. BJP has stated in its manifesto to set up a special investigation team to investigate the people involved in duping and the money laundering scams. Congress has promised to make public all the reports of various judicial commissions that have been established till date so that it can come in the notice of the public.
Both the parties are looking forward to exploiting Odisha’s long coastline with new innovations to board up in the state. The BJP has promised to set up economic zones and dozens of ports to iterate the water industrialization. The BJP is looking to set up an industrial corridor along the 77km long Paradeep-Chandikhole highway. Congress promises promotions of small and medium enterprises.
Both the parties resolve to fill the vacancies of the doctors and teachers and regularize the contractual jobs. BJP promises to implement the Ayushman Bharat. It will also set up a medical college in every district and will give free education to the economically weaker section of the society. Congress promises to give free education to all girls and spend 20 percent of the state budget on the development of education and its resources.
The elections will be held in seven phases begining from April 11. The results are scheduled to be announced on May 23.