BJP retreats to Hindutva in UP, vows Ram temple Fadnavis: Shiv Sena is a party of extortionists

IN MANIFESTO Party also promises to act on triple talaq, close slaughter houses

The BJP promised on Saturday to push for a controversial temple to Hindu god Ram if it won power in Uttar Pradesh, unveiling an election manifesto that appeared designed to appeal to voters along religious lines.

The party’s apparent return to an agenda of Hindutva marks a departure from its initial election narrative built around two of PM Narendra Modi’s boldest decisions: The scrapping of high-value banknotes to fight corruption and a “surgical strike” against militants across the de facto border with Pakistan.

The change in tack also contrasts with the party’s election plank three years ago when it swept the political bellwether on a promise of development. The BJP’s lurch towards Hindutva comes in the backdrop of an election alliance between the ruling SP and the Congress, which are traditionally backed by Muslims, who form a fifth of the state’s population.

The party’s election promises included ascertaining opinion of Muslim women over the Islamic divorce practice of triple talaq, closing down illegal slaughter houses and stemming the alleged migration of Hindus from riot-hit Muslim-majority towns in western UP.

The manifesto also made a raft of populist proposals, including waiving off loans for small farmers, abundant electricity, new hospitals and PM Narendra Modi with defence minister Manohar Parrikar at a rally in Goa on Saturday. universities, free school education for girls and free laptops to all college students with 1GB free internet a month.

The battle for Mumbai is officially on. In a stinging response to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to walk away from the alliance, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday called the former ally in the civic body and its partner in the state government a party of “extortionists” whose dominance over Mumbai for the past 25 years was a huge loss to the megapolis.

The remarks came in Fadnavis’ address to his party cadre at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis addresses a BJP rally ahead of the BMC elections, in Goregaon on Saturday. (BJP) show-of-strength rally with transparency agenda and in Goregaon, the venue where promise to change corrupt practices Thackeray broke off the alliance for the saffron allies’ split. on January 26. The CM blamed the Sena’s refusal to come on board

PTI PHOTO