BJP promises 20% quota for women in Govt jobs
...offers slew of social development programmes

Pledging all-round development and seeking to reach out to women voters and empower them economically and politically, the BJP, in its Manifesto for the coming Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, has promised 20 per cent reservation for women in Government jobs and 50 per cent reservation in local body elections if voted into office.

Releasing the Manifesto on Monday, the BJP also announced reservation for the economically poor among the upper castes.

With an aim to give a clean administration, the BJP proposes to bring the Chief Minister within the purview of the Lokayukt. The legislators would declare their assets within 90 days of their election. Failing to do so would be made a punishable offence, the Manifesto said.

Pointing out the spurt in terrorist activities in the State and the mounting threat to Hindu religious places, the Manifesto said the party would bring in a stringent anti-terrorism law on the lines of POTA.

The party also announced many programmes, including Daana-Paani Yojana, to improve the public distribution system, Annadaata Yojana for farmers so that they can get a good price for their produce, Ankur Yojana to provide seeds and fertilisers to farmers, Haldhar Smridhi Yojana to provide easy loans and Bhagirathi Yojana for irrigation.

For girls, the BJP has announced Laadli Lakshmi Yojana that would ensure Rs 1.18 lakh for every girl who passes intermediate. The money will be paid to the girl when she attains 21 years of age. The money will come in the form of bonds. The BJP has also promised Balika Smridhi Yojana for poor girls under which they would get life insurance.

Evening courts would be set up for speedy disposal of litigation. The party has also promised to delete "objectionable references" to Jain, Sardar, Jat and Sikh communities from school textbooks.

Sticking to its Hindutva agenda, the BJP said it is committed to build Ram Temple at Ayodhya and announced that it would make yoga, Surya Namaskar and singing of Vande Mataram compulsory in Government schools, if it voted back to power.

"The spirit of patriotism is on the wane. To make children physically and ideologically strong the BJP Government would make singing of Vande Mataram and Surya Namaskar compulsory in Government schools," Venkaiah Naidu, the national vice-president of the party, told reporters here.

He said the BJP Government in Madhya Pradesh had made Surya Namaskar compulsory in Government schools. It is accepted as a physical exercise, an extension of Yoga. "Students in UP will also gladly accept this. There is no harm in performing Surya Namaskar. It has no religious connotation. Ditto is the case with Vande Mataram," Naidu, who is also election in-charge, said.

The party also proposed to give Rs 500 crore to develop Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura and Pryagraj as tourist places and said that it would strive to remove all obstacles in the way of construction of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya.

"Ram Temple is not a political issue for us. It is a cultural issue and the BJP is committed to construct a temple at Ayodhya," he said and added: "The BJP can only fulfil its promises if it is voted back to power with thumping majority. And we are sure that BJP alone will be able to form a Government."