Rajasthan polls: BJP's lack of leadership shows in manifesto, says Gehlot

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has said the BJP’s manifesto for the 25 November assembly elections is nothing but a modified version of the incumbent Congress government’s schemes, and there is nothing new in the document, which was released on 16 November.

On the face of it, he would appear to have a point. Strategists at the state BJP headquarters probably had to work hard to finalise the manifesto, given the slew of social benefits already promised by the Gehlot government.

In its manifesto released on 20 November, the Congress promised to boost its Chiranjeevi Beema Yojana to offer an insurance cover of up to Rs 50 lakh to every family.

The new manifesto also promised 10 lakh jobs, including 4 lakh in the government sector, in the next five years, and announced plans to undertake the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project as a state project, since it was denied by the Union government.

Other promises in the Congress manifesto included a caste survey, and a law to penalise hate speech — something the Congress reminded voters that BJP leaders have freely indulged in, alongside casteist remarks throughout their election campaign.

The party also promised to further lower prices for cooking gas cylinders to Rs 400 (from the current Rs 500) for the poor, and new laws to protect a minimum support price for farmers, who can also look forward to interest-free loans of up to Rs 2 lakh.

Meanwhile, among other things, the BJP has promised 33 per cent reservation for women in the police force, and the formation of an 'anti-Romeo squad' to prevent eve-teasing. It has also promised to set up an 'anti-Bharat sleeper cell' monitoring system, and a special agency to investigate scams.

The manifesto, launched by BJP national president JP Nadda, also promised the state a $350 million economy, and compensation to those farmers whose land was seized owing to non-repayment of loans. This number runs to over 19,400 in the state. The BJP has also promised to introduce legislation which makes it impossible to seize land for such non-repayment. A minimum support price of Rs 2,700 per quintal of wheat was also promised.

On 27 October, the Congress had announced the following seven guarantees for Rajasthan:

• Rs 10,000 every year to the female head of the family

• Purchase of cow dung at Rs 2 per kg

• Laptop/tablet for first-year government college students

• Free insurance of up to Rs 15 lakh for a family affected by a natural disaster

• Guarantee of English-medium education to every student

• Cylinders 1 crore families for Rs 500 each

• Return of old pension scheme

“We introduced a number of welfare schemes covering all aspects and all strata of society, so much that nothing was left. The BJP manifesto has nothing new, the BJP prepared its manifesto in a rush without proper homework. There is no substance in the offerings made in the manifesto, and it lacks both substance and even language. This has come as a disappointment to the people. I would again say the BJP lacks in leadership and it is reflected in their manifesto,” said Gehlot.

In a possible effort to keep up, the BJP has included a few incentives for the girl child, too, such as free two-wheelers for 'meritorious' girls, and Rs 10,000 to the woman head of the family.

The BJP has also announced 2.5 lakh government jobs in the next five years, which is less than the 4 lakh jobs promised by the Congress.

Gehlot has particularly pointed out the announcement made in the manifesto that the BJP will provide gas cylinders for Rs 450, and claimed that it was only under pressure from the Rajasthan government that the Modi government at the Centre had reduced the price of gas cylinders and is now offering a cylinder for Rs 450, but only to Ujjawala scheme beneficiaries.

"We have promised gas cylinders at Rs 500 each to 1.05 crore families in the state, including those covered under the National Food Security scheme," Gehlot said, and warned that if the BJP comes to power, it will "scrap" a number of schemes launched by the Congress government.

The chief minister expressed particular concern about the Rajasthan Government Health Schemes (RGHS) for state government employees, and said the BJP will scrap it if the party comes to power.

In May this year, Rajasthan became the first state in India to pass a landmark Right to Health Bill (RTH), which gives every resident of the state “the right to free consultation, drugs, diagnostics and emergency care at all public hospitals”.