New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on January 17, 2025, released its manifesto ahead of the Delhi Assembly Elections, placing women-centric welfare schemes at the forefront of its campaign. Party President J. P. Nadda, presenting the Sankalp Patra, declared it a comprehensive vision for a prosperous and corruption-free Delhi.
Seeking to outshine the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the BJP committed to providing financial assistance of Rs 21,000 to every pregnant woman in Delhi, alongside six nutrition kits to ensure maternal health. “Our resolution for Delhi’s development includes empowering women with financial and health support,” Nadda emphasized.
A key highlight is the promise of Rs 2,500 monthly aid for all women citizens under a special scheme, aiming to improve their financial stability. Senior citizens, widows, and destitute women above 70 years would see pensions increase from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000. These measures, BJP claims, will provide substantial relief to vulnerable groups.
In addition, the BJP proposed to deliver subsidized cooking gas cylinders at Rs 500 for poor households, with one free cylinder provided during Holi and Diwali. Health care reforms include fast-tracking the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, offering up to Rs 5 lakh in medical coverage, and free treatment up to Rs 10 lakh for senior citizens, along with no-cost outpatient and diagnostic services.
The manifesto also announced the creation of Atal Canteens in slum areas, providing fiber-rich meals for Rs 5, countering the unmet promise of AAP’s Aam Aadmi Canteens from 2015. Nadda accused AAP of failing to deliver on its commitments and said, “Delhi’s poor have waited long enough. We will deliver what AAP could not.”
The BJP seized the opportunity to highlight controversies surrounding AAP’s welfare programs. It condemned the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana as fraudulent after Delhi’s Women and Child Development Department and Health and Family Welfare Department denied any such scheme. These agencies warned citizens against sharing personal data with unauthorized collectors posing as officials.
“AAP’s history is marked by deception,” Nadda remarked, citing examples from unfulfilled promises related to COVID-19 relief, free ration distribution, and Yamuna river cleaning. He pointed to BJP’s track record of delivering on similar initiatives in Maharashtra, where Devendra Fadnavis implemented the Ladki Bahin Yojana successfully.
Promising to root out corruption, Nadda assured voters that existing welfare schemes would not only continue but be enhanced with greater efficiency and transparency. “We will ensure every welfare program benefits those who need it, without corruption or inefficiency,” he asserted.
With BJP’s aggressive positioning and a clear focus on governance and welfare, the Delhi elections scheduled for February 5, 2025, are shaping up to be a high-stakes battle between promises and performance, as voters decide which party can better secure their future.
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