Criticizing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress MP Mukul Wasnik labeled the party’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections a “Jumla patra,” asserting that the party failed to offer any rationale for its previous promises.
In a statement to ANI, Wasnik remarked, “10 years ago, the Bharatiya Janata Party had made many promises to the entire country. Now that the elections are around the corner and the BJP has put forward their manifesto, it is necessary that the party also clears out all the promises fulfilled by them in the past.”
“What happened to the promises of 2014, the promises made in 2019? What happened to employment, inflation, and the safety of women, what prices were given to farmers’ produce, and what kind of security was given to the country?” stated the Congress leader.
Continuing the Congress leader said, “The Bharatiya Janata Party talked about giving new guarantees in the new package but has not given any account of the earlier guarantees. I think their new manifesto is just a ‘Jumla patra’.”
The BJP has pledged periodic increases in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) in its election manifesto, should it be elected for a third term. The manifesto, titled “Sankalp Patra,” was unveiled on Sunday at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in attendance.
The document, highlighting the ‘Modi ki guarantee’ slogan, outlines the Narendra Modi government’s vision and pledges for all societal segments. The manifesto garnered praise from party workers and supporters, whereas the opposition voiced criticism.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Sunday that the terms “inflation” and “unemployment” were absent from the promises in the poll document. The BJP had formed a manifesto committee led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, which convened twice to discuss its contents. This followed the party’s extensive campaigns nationwide to gather public input before unveiling the ‘Sankalp Patra’.
The BJP garnered over 1.5 million suggestions for its manifesto, with more than 400,000 coming through the NaMo app and over 1.1 million via videos. The Lok Sabha elections in India are set to occur from April 19 to June 1 for the selection of the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha. The elections will span seven phases, with the results announced on June 4.