BJP manifesto out: It’s Narendra Modi-vision

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s much-delayed manifesto, dubbed as “Modi-vision”, blended development and economic revival with much-muted Hindutva.

As the focus of the BJP manifesto for the 2014 election released Monday remained high on development, economic reviv-al and governance, certain contentious issues like Ram Mandir, abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and introduction of a uniform civil code also found place in later pages of the document.

The Election Commission, meanwhile, blocked the broadcast/telecast of the manifesto in Assam and Tripura, where the first phase of the nine-part general election got under way on Monday.

Fighting the stigma of the 2002 Gujarat communal riots, BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi sent out a clear signal when he “promised not to do anything with bad intent” if he became the Prime Minister.

“The party has bestowed on me a certain responsibility. I want to make three promises. First, I will never be found wanting in hard work, I will not do anything for myself and I will not do anything with bad intent,” Mr Modi said.

But even as Mr Modi emerged as a business-friendly leader, the stocks of some major retail companies fell by around six per cent as the BJP stuck to its stand of not permitting foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail.

The election manifesto titled Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Sabha Saath Sabka Vikas promised to end the policy paralysis, corruption and “tax terrorism”.
On the question of economic revival, the manifesto talked of “strictly implementing fiscal discipline”, but it did not explain whether it meant any cut on subsidies.

“We will strictly implement fiscal discipline without compromising on funds availability for development work and asset creation,” the manifesto said.
The manifesto, while focusing on “revisiting the policy framework” and “undertaking banking reforms”, promised to “rationalise and simplify the tax regime”.