BJP’s vision document for Bihar: Scooties for girls, TVs for Dalits, land for all

All landless people will be provided five decimal land for housing and all homeless people will be given houses equipped with pure drinking water, toilet and electricity by 2022, the BJP's vision document said.

BJP vision document, BJP manifesto, BJP bihar

Patna : Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley with BJP Bihar in-charge Ananth Kumar and party senior leader Sushil Kumar Modi releasing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vision document for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections in Patna on Thursday. (Source: PTI)

The BJP’s vision document for Bihar promises a shower of gifts, from a colour TV set for every Dalit and Mahadalit family to laptops for 50,000 meritorious students and 5,000 scooties for meritorious girls — JD(U) CM Nitish Kumar had introduced bicycles for girl students — besides five decimals land for every landless person, and a dhoti and a saree for every poor family.

Releasing the document Thursday, Union minister Arun Jaitley attacked the grand alliance and held them responsible for Bihar’s economic backwardness. “It is our resolution to take Bihar out of economic backwardness,” said Jaitley, who also mocked the JD(U), the RJD and the Congress for mutual inconsistencies. “This opportunistic grand alliance is beyond the comprehension of people. How can there be an alliance between Lohia’s followers and the Congress? These parties, which have ruled Bihar for 68 years, have come together.” The BJP had shared power with Nitish but Jaitley said it had been as a “junior partner”.

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He predicted anarchy if the grand alliance wins. “There can be no other result but to push Bihar into anarchy if they win,” he said. “We see such political inconsistency, that is why we are seeing such a contradictory alliance. A three-legged race cannot be run and even if it is run, it cannot be won.”

Jaitley described how a BJP government has lifted Madhya Pradesh out of the BIMARU bracket while Bihar languishes. Asked about the many sops in the document, Jaitley said not all promises can be called populist, such as the education incentives for girls.

The BJP seeks to upstage Nitish by addressing the Mahadalit constituency he has carved out. The promise of land appears to be an extension of the Mahadalit Vikas Scheme announced by Jitan Ram Manjhi as CM. Nitish’s government has distributed three decimals land to each of two lakh Mahadalit families. Where Nitish has pledged better power supply, the BJP assures 24-hour domestic supply. At his rallies, PM Narendra Modi has been asking: “Bijli mili?”

First uploaded on: 02-10-2015 at 00:00 IST

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