BJP promises Bharat Ratna for Savarkar if voted back in Maha

MUMBAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday promised to make Maharashtra free of drought and said it will provide one crore jobs, homes to homeless families, compulsory health tests for those turning 30 and internet connectivity in every home among others in its manifesto for the October 21 assembly polls.

In another grand poll promise, the BJP manifesto said it will try to get Bharat Ratna for Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and also one for Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule.

BJP national working president JP Nadda released manifesto at an auditorium in Bandra just five days ahead of the assembly polls. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP’S state unit president Chandrakant Patil, and Mumbai unit chief Mangal Prabhat Lodha were present at the release. “A list of 16 broad issues gives the gist of the entire manifesto. It is a very well-studied and serious document,” J P Nadda said. “It is an all-inclusive and progressive manifesto,” Fadnavis said.

The BJP has promised a drought-free Maharashtra in the next five years if it returns to power and said it will connect 11 dams under the Maratha water grid project and diverting the waters of the Krishna River to drought-hit areas. The ruling party’s poll document also promised solar power for more than 12 hours during the day time in all villages to run farm machinery.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also promised to connect one crore families to self-help groups with the focus on creating employment for women and safe drinking water for all households as part of his party’s manifesto.

Screening for diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiac diseases, eye check-ups and blood pressure at the age of 30 for all citizens was another area of focus in the manifesto.

More seats have been promised in educational and employment institutes across the state for the open category citizens, in light of reservations announced in the state that have eaten into open quota. “The open category will get same number of seats as it had before 2018. We will examine and expand seats, which will benefit not only the open category but also increase the number of seats in the reservation quotas,” Fadnavis said. It promises home to every homeless family by 2022, with a safe drinking water connection and internet connectivity in every household, and 30,000 kilometres of new roads across Maharashtra.

The manifesto said the party will create a fund of ~ 5 lakh crore for the construction of basic amenities and infrastructure, such as irrigation facilities, roads, urban infrastructure, metros, railways, airports. The chief minister also tackled questions on why the Shiv Sena and his BJP presented separate manifestos despite being in an alliance.

Meanwhile, slamming the BJP for mooting Bharat Ratna award for V D Savarkar, Communist Party of India general secretary D Raja said the ruling party may even propose the honour for Mahatma Gandhi’s killer Nathuram Godse. “This is biggest irony of our times that while we are all celebrating the birth centenary of Gandhiji, the BJP is seeking Bharat Ratna to Savarkar, who was an accused in his assassination case,” Raja told PTI here.

“The BJP may soon demand Bharat Ratna for Gandhiji’s assassin Nathuram Godse. This is part of their agenda,” the CPI leader said.