Free Covid vaccine in BJP manifesto kicks up storm

Party promises 1.9mn jobs in Bihar and free vaccine if voted to power; Oppn slams politics on pandemic

PATNA: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) promised free Covid- 19 vaccines for Bihar in its election manifesto released on Thursday, setting off a storm of criticism from Opposition parties and public health experts who questioned the decision to link politics with immunisation, and prompting similar announcements from two state governments.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman released the 11- point Sankalp Patra ( document of pledges) in Patna that also included the promise to generate 1.9 million jobs, expand the minimum-supportprice regime, and recruit 300,000 teachers.

“As soon as Covid-19 vaccine is available for production at a mass scale, every person in Bihar will get free vaccination. This is the first promise mentioned in our poll manifesto,” said Sitharaman. The promise was the first of the 11 points.

Though the party later clarified that the vaccine would be delivered to all citizens, and that it was up to state governments to give it for free after receiving it at nominal cost from the Centre, experts questioned its inclu

sion in a poll manifesto, and argued this was different from a policy announcement by the central or a state government.

The manifesto – carrying the tagline “BJP hai to bharosa hai” (in BJP we trust) – said the free vaccine will be made available once it has been cleared by the Indian Council for Medical Research ( ICMR), but mentioned no additional details about funding or source of the vaccines. “It’s our resolve that once the vaccine against the coronavirus has been cleared by the ICMR, we will make it available to the people of Bihar free of cost,” said the manifesto.

Bihar has seen 208,000 infections and lost roughly 1,000 lives to the virus; the state has a population of 104 million, and

goes to the polls to elect members to the 243-member assembly in three phases: October 28, November 3 and November 7. Results are out on November 10.

Opposition parties said linking public health to elections was a “degeneration of politics”.

“It is unfortunate if vaccine for a pandemic becomes a part of a manifesto and a poll issue,” said Rashtriya Janata Dal Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha.

“GOI (government of India) just announced India’s Covid access strategy,” senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote on Twitter. “Kindly refer to the state-wise election schedule to know when will you get it, along with a hoard of false promises.”

Later in the day, two other states made similar announcements.

Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami assured free vaccines for all people. “I would like to announce that as soon as the vaccine is developed (and made available to states) all people in Tamil Nadu will be immunised and the government shall bear the cost,” he said in Pudukottai.

Hours later, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan echoed the order.