- Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of the poll-bound southern Indian state of Karnataka on Monday (1) released its manifesto for the May 10 battle in which it promised implementation of the uniform civil code, a million jobs in the manufacturing sector and a State Capital Region tag for state capital Bengaluru, the country’s information technology capital.
The document, named ‘BJP Praja Pranalike’, was released in Bengaluru by JP Nadda, the party’s national president. The occasion also saw the presence of chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and veteran BJP leader and former chief minister of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa, among others.
Nadda said at the event that the manifesto was not prepared following discussions in an air-conditioned room and that party workers did solid ground work in Karnataka and gave inputs in making the document.
He also said that the saffron party’s vision for the state is “justice to all, appeasement to none”. Nadda added that the BJP government in the state has ended an “unconstitutional” reservation for the minority Muslim community.
It may be noted here that the Bommai cabinet recently decided to abolish the four per cent reservation for Muslims and divide it equally between the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities — two politically influential caste groups in the state.
The move faced a backlash with the opposition Indian National Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) promising to restore the reservation if they returned to power.
The BJP has also said that the uniform civil code will be implemented in Karnataka “based on the recommendations given by a high-level committee which is to be constituted for the purpose”, NDTV reported.
While the Congress is yet to release its manifesto, the Janata Dal (Secular) has promised legislation to provide reservations to the local Kannadigas in the private sector. It also said that it will put pressure on the federal government to hold civil services and defence recruitment examinations in Kannada language.
The BJP has been in power in Karnataka since 2019, a year after the last state elections were held as a coalition government of the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) collapsed. The saffron party is eyeing its second consecutive term although in Karnataka, ruling parties find it difficult to beat the anti-incumbency mood.
The results will be declared on May 13.
