Sankalp Patra focuses on rising middle class, says BJP

New Delhi: Asserting that its manifesto recognises the aspirations and needs of the rising middle class, and identifies opportunities for them and promises to create conditions for a better quality of life, the BJP on Monday claimed the middle class will benefit a lot from the promises mentioned in the poll document. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had released the BJP’s “Sankalp Patra” on Sunday and had said his mission was to fulfil the aspirations of 140 crore people.

The poll document of the ruling BJP has promised better cities, higher quality infrastructure, faster and better digital infrastructure, controlling pollution, investment in the technologies of tomorrow and better living conditions.

Its promise of encouraging the creation of new satellite townships near metro cities, boosting transit-oriented development, building unified metropolitan transport systems, ensuring water-secure cities, leveraging best practices for waste water treatment and eliminating open landfills will address immediate liveability concerns of the middle class, the party said.

It has also promised in its manifesto high-value jobs not just in big cities but in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities as well, besides leveraging tourism to promote local entrepreneurship and jobs.

The manifesto's focus on increasing the number of Global Capability Centres (GCCs), Global Tech Centres (GTCs) and Global Engineering Centres (GECs) and making the country a global hub will also help the middle class, who will benefit also from the resolve to make housing more affordable.

Noting that medical treatment for senior citizens, and those 70 years and above, was costly and can mean a financial drain on middle class families as getting insurance for them was not always easy, the party said its promise of bringing them under the “Ayushman Bharat” cover for health costs up to Rs 5 lakhs irrespective of their family income will be a big help to them.

The party also cited its promise of zero electricity bill via solar rooftops, including in housing societies, and the expansion of IITs, IIMs and AIIMS to make its point.

The BJP’s promise of new investments in agricultural storage will lead to not only farmers getting more remunerative prices but also lower and more predictable food prices for the consuming middle class, it said.

The manifesto's details on India’s proposed foreign policy initiatives, promoting the country's ideas and values to the world and carving a place for it at the global level, also benefits the middle class the most as they will play a key role as its ambassadors to the world.