Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday released the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) manifesto for the upcoming Chhattisgarh assembly elections during a function at Kushabhau Thakre Parisar in the state. The manifesto titled ‘Modi ki guarantee 2023’ includes several promises including yearly financial assistance to married women, and providing cooking gas cylinders at ₹500 to poor families.

Launching the manifesto, Shah said that an “election manifesto is not just a manifesto for the BJP, but a ‘Sankalp Patra’ (document of resolution) for us.” “Fulfilling our resolution, we (BJP-led central government) had established Chhattisgarh state (in 2000)…Chhattisgarh was transformed into a good state from being a BIMARU (laggard) state during 15 years of the BJP rule (2003-2018). Now I assure you on behalf of the BJP that we will work with the aim of making it a developed state in the next five years,” Amit Shah said.

Elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly will be held in two phases – on November 7 and 17, while the results will be announced on December 3.

BJP’s key promises in the manifesto

1. Filling one lakh vacant government posts in Chhattisgarh in two years.
2. Women from poor families will get cooking gas cylinders at ₹500 each.
3. Students will be given a monthly travel allowance for going to college through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
4. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, funds will be sanctioned for the construction of 18 lakh houses, while every house will have a tap water connection within two years under the ‘Ghar Ghar Nirmal Jal Abhiyan’.
5. Deendayal Upadhyay Krishi Majdoor Yojana will be launched under which landless agricultural labourers will be given ₹10,000 per year.
6. The party-led government will also launch the ‘Mahtari Vandan Scheme’, under which married women will be given financial assistance of ₹12,000 per year.
7. Launching ‘Krishi Unnati Scheme’ under which 21 quintals per acre paddy will be procured (from farmers) at ₹3100 per quintal.
8. Taking people of the state on a visit to the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Amit Shah’s dig at CM Bhupesh Baghel

Addressing a rally in the poll-bound state, Shah said that Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel is a “pre-paid CM” of Congress and that the “validity of his talk time has ended.”

Alleging that Baghel has made Chhattisgarh the “ATM of Congress”, the union home minister said, “If Baghel becomes the Chief Minister again, then thousands of crores of rupees will be withdrawn by swapping the ‘pre-paid’ cards daily…He is looting the people of Chhattisgarh. The person who wants to develop his politics cannot do the welfare of Chhattisgarh.”

“When you all go to vote, do not vote to elect an MLA or a minister…Your vote shapes the future of Chhattisgarh…Your vote is to end Naxalism and make the Adivasi region a developed region,” he added.

(With inputs from agencies)