Gujarat polls: Modi unveils BJP's manifesto
Ahmedabad, Dec 3 (ANI)
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday released the Bharatiya Janata Party's poll manifesto for the upcoming state assembly polls.
In its manifesto, the BJP has promised greater job opportunities for over 30 lakh youth of the state if it is voted back to power.
It also promises to set up new speciality hospitals in Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and North Gujarat.
The party also promised to double the electricity output and assured farmers of cheaper loans. The manifesto said that in the next five years 16 lakh hectares of land would be irrigated.
The manifesto also talks about women empowerment, e-governance, urban and rural development, IT, new energy sources, development in adivasi-dominated areas, Dalit and neglected sections, wetland development, wind energy, promotion of ayurveda medicine, among other things.
Top BJP leaders, including Arun Jaitley shared stage with Modi during the unveiling of manifesto.
Earlier, BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani hailed Modi for his administrative skills, and described the latter as 'a role model for chief ministers of other states on how to rule, govern and take care of even the poorest'.
Addressing a rally in poll-bound Gujarat, Advani cited that Modi's administrative skills had given a prominent spot to the state on the global map.
"Modi is undertaking great development work in Gujarat. He is a role model for chief ministers of other states on how to rule, govern and take care of even the poorest," Advani said.
The words of praise for Modi from Advani came just days after Sushma Swaraj openly endorsed him as a potential prime ministerial candidate.
Modi, who is looking at a third consecutive term at the helm in Gujarat, is contesting from Ahmedabad's Maninagar seat. Maninagar is a Modi stronghold and he has held this seat since 2002. In 2007, he defeated the Congress candidate by around 75,000 votes.
The Congress has fielded Suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt's wife Shweta Bhatt against Modi from Maninagar this time.
Gujarat will go to the polls in two phases on December 13 and 17. The counting of votes will take place on December 20.