With two days to go for the first phase of polls in Uttar Pradesh (UP), the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) released their poll manifestos on Tuesday, February 8. The BJP manifesto is titled Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra (vision document for public welfare) while the SP document goes by the name Samajwadi Vachan Patra (the socialist manifesto).
The SP has promised big on freebies and sops for farmers while promising an urban employment scheme on the lines of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and 33 per cent reservation to women in government jobs. Pension is another important promise. The SP says in its manifesto that if it comes to power, it will restore an old pension scheme for government employees that was in place before 2005. It has also promised to provide regular government jobs to 'Shiksha Mitras' within three years and provide employment to one crore people in the MSME sector.
The BJP has also made a few promises to the farmers. The party that had so far refrained from freebies seems to be willing to make compromises. Besides, it has said that the establishment of the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) commando training centre at Deoband will be completed in five years. Similar centres will also be launched at Meerut, Rampur, Azamgarh, Kanpur and Bahraich. One of the promises in the manifesto is that of establishing a Ramayana University to undertake research related to Lord Rama.
Promises to farmers
If we consider the farmers, the SP has promised that Minimum Support Price (MSP) will be provided to all crops and payment to sugarcane farmers will be ensured within 15 days. For this, a farmers' corpus fund will be created if needed, says the party. The manifesto also says that all farmers will be debt-free by 2025 and that a debt relief law will be brought in for the benefit of extremely poor farmers. Farmers with less than two acres of land will be provided with two bags of DAP and five bags of urea, electricity for irrigation, interest-free loan, insurance and pension. Besides, Rs 25 lakh will be given to the kin of each of the farmers who died during the farm protests. The promises also include a farmer's memorial in the memory of farmers who died during farm protests and the setting up of Kisan Bazars in all districts.
The BJP has promised to the farmers free electricity for irrigation, faster sugarcane price payments and strengthening the MSP mechanism for wheat and paddy. It says that if the sugar mills do not make the cane price payments within 14 days, a provision will be made for interest payments on the arrears.
Two LPG cylinders every year
The parties have made a few announcements for the common voters, too. The SP manifesto promises a slew of freebies, including two LPG cylinders every year to below poverty line (BPL) families, one litre of petrol to all two-wheeler owners and three litres of petrol and six kg of CNG per month to auto-rickshaw drivers. The BJP, too, has promised two additional cylinders of LPG to all beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana — one on the occasion of Holi and the other on Diwali. Public toilets will be constructed for women, for which the manifesto says Rs 1,000 crore will be allotted.
Urban employment guarantee scheme
According to the SP manifesto, an urban employment guarantee scheme will be brought along the lines of the MNREGA. The 'Urban Employment Guarantee Act' will review and revive the IT sector so that 22 lakh people can be given employment. A revival of the MSME sector will also be promoted so that it can become an engine of growth and provide one crore jobs by 2027. The remuneration of the “Shiksha Mitras” would be increased and they would be given regular government jobs within three years. The party has announced to restart the Samajwadi Pension Scheme and pay Rs 18,000 annually to senior citizens, women who need financial aid, and families below the poverty line. The benefits from this will reach one crore families in UP. Setting up “Samajwadi grocery stores” for poor workers, masons and the homeless to get ration and other necessities at subsidized rates and “Samajwadi Canteens”, which would provide “Samajwadi Thali” at Rs 10, are other highlights of the SP manifesto.
The BJP, in its Sankalp Patra, has announced “Maa Annapoornaa Canteen” with a focus on subsidized food for the urban poor. A promise has been made to create three crore self-employment opportunities for the youth over the next five years. The manifesto has promised at least one employment per family, be it through jobs or self-employment.
Better health facilities promised
Releasing the manifesto, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav reiterated his earlier promise of 300 units of free electricity and said that a 24-hour power supply would be ensured in the entire state. UP would be made a 100 per cent literate state by 2027, Yadav said. He said that the health budget of the state would be increased three times so that even the poor can afford quality health services. The BJP, on the other hand, has promised that a government hospital with state-of-the-art equipment will be built in every district and the state will be made TB-free by 2025.
Women empowerment
In order to empower women, the SP promises 33 per cent reservation to women in government jobs and a strengthening of the women helpline 1090. Women will be able to file complaints on the 1090 power line through email and WhatsApp as well. The Kanya Vidya Dhan Yojana, under which girls will be given a lump-sum amount of Rs 36,000 after passing class 12, will be revived. Free education to girls from kindergarten to masters' level is a big announcement to promote women’s education.
On the other hand, the BJP has promised free scooties to the meritorious girl students under the Rani Laxmibai Yojana. Under the Swami Vivekanand Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana, two crore tablets and smartphones will be given to students, both male and female.
Zero tolerance vs ‘love jihad’
The BJP has time and again been raising the issue of the law and order that prevailed during the previous SP government. In its manifesto, the SP has promised to set up CCTVs and conduct drone surveillance in all towns and villages within a year of coming to power. Besides, all police stations will be made corruption-free, the party promises. All policemen will be provided one day off per week and pending promotions will be cleared. There will be zero tolerance for hate crimes against minority communities and Dalits, according to the SP.
In its Sankalp Patra, the BJP has promised to amend the anti-conversion ‘love jihad’ law and impose a jail term of 10 years and Rs 1 lakh fine on an accused arrested under the law. Action against the criminals and the mafia will continue. There will be a cyber helpdesk in every police station. Separate barracks will be built for male and female police personnel, says the manifesto.
The promises made in the BJP manifesto also include attracting an investment of Rs 10 lakh crore over the next five years, modernizing the industrial regions under the Atal Infrastructure Mission and developing sports infrastructure in every government school and college under the Major Dhyanchand Mission. In order to promote folk music, dance and drama, the Lata Mangeshkar Institute of Performing Arts will be established, says the manifesto.