The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its election manifesto for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls on Tuesday, hours before the campaign for the first of the seven-phase voting ended. Titled Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra (vision document for public welfare), the BJP manifesto promises a long list of ‘freebies’ while trying to keep the core Hindutva voting bloc intact.
Among the BJP’s top promises are free electricity to farmers for irrigation and job and self-employment opportunities to at least one member of each family. It has also promised 10-year jail and Rs 1 lakh penalty to those found guilty under the law against what is called Love Jihad luring women or girls to marriage for religious conversion.
