Ahmedabad: Populist promises in election manifestos are a staple feature of Indian politics. Whether it's a ruling or an opposition party, the strategy of using populist promises laced with freebies is a familiar tactic by political parties to woo voters.
The manifestos released by the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections are no exception. From free education to women in the State to loan waivers for fishermen, both sides have left no stone unturned to woo voters for the high-stakes Assembly elections.
Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's much-publicized criticism of "revdis" (freebies) ahead of the Gujarat polls, the BJP has gone all out with populist promises in its manifesto to retain power in the State it has ruled for nearly three decades.
The saffron party has promised to create 20 lakh employment opportunities for the youth in Gujarat over the next five years along with 1 lakh government jobs for women in the next five years. It has also announced the issuance of Shramik Credit Cards for laborers to provide them with collateral-free loans of up to Rs 2 lakh.
Not to be left behind Congress had earlier announced 10 lakh jobs in government and semi-government departments along with a monthly unemployment allowance of Rs 3000.
In a bid to woo woman voters both BJP and Congress have announced free education for all girls in Gujarat from KG to PG. Congress has taken it a step forward promising free buses for school and college-going girls. BJP has also announced free bus travel for female senior citizens in Gujarat.
Although the BJP has not announced any loan-waiving schemes in its manifesto, the grand old party has declared that it will waive loans up to Rs 3 lakh for all fishermen. In view of the political significance of the issue of rising fuel prices, Congress has announced the provision of free LPG cylinders at Rs 500.
As for the healthcare sector Congress has gone all out with promises of making several diagnostic tests such as MRI, CT scan, and sonography free of cost as well as free medicines for dialysis and blood pressure patients. While the BJP has promised to double the cap of its Ayushman Bharat scheme from Rs. 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
