In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha election, incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing for a crowd-sourced manifesto. BJP is further planning to start a nationwide initiative which will include taking pointers from the voters to draft a manifesto for all.
Speaking at the election initiative ‘Bharat Ke Mann Ki Baat, Modi Ke Saath’, BJP President Amit Shah stated that the saffron party will reach out to 10 crore people asking them suggestions to be included in the manifesto for the 2019 elections. BJP is aimed at creating a buzz around it before the election campaign formally kicks off later this month.
Amit Shah along with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched the ‘largest’ ever initiative from the national capital. A total of 12 categories are decided under which the electorate can pass their suggestions. These categories include good governance, women empowerment, youth and sports, inclusive growth, farmers, economy, foreign policy, infrastructure, and others.
Earlier a manifesto committee was formed on January 6. The 20-member committee includes Union ministers like Arun Jaitley, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Nirmala Sitharaman, Thaawarchand Gehlot, Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal, and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Few other prominent faces are former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, and his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Keshav Prasad Maurya.
In order to entreat suggestions, the saffron party introduced a special website and phone number along with orthodox means like email and postcards. Further BJP president added that the party will send out 300 raths to go all over the country. These raths will have tablets, through which one can give his suggestion. The party will also set up 7,500 boxes to collect ideas. Each state will have a 20-member team to collect suggestions, Shah said.
The saffron party will be entrusting key leaders with an important issue to seek suggestion to be included in the manifesto. There is speculation that Smriti Irani is likely to be leading the issues concerning women empowerment.
Talking about the policies and achievement of the NDA government, BJP President said, “Before 2014, for 30 years, either it was populist or policies of appeasement. Only piecemeal solutions were offered in budgets to uplift 50 crore poor of the country. There was no concrete policy”. Shah also said, “Modi government worked to change lives of 50 crore people through Ujjawala, Ayushman, Swachh Bharat schemes. For the first time, the marginalised in the country felt he was part of India,”
Taking a jibe at the Congress party, Shah taunted that political parties lack within themselves, adding, “We are different than any other party in the country. We have internal democratic system unlike family-run or caste-based parties. We function based on ideology rather than vote bank”.
Further, praising the focus of the interim budget, Home Minister Rajnath said Modi has become the biggest well-wisher of the farmers. The saffron party is also going to prepare a report card of the promises it had made in 2014 manifesto and it will be made available to the voters during the campaign process. The report card will also have feedback options.