BJP Releases Comprehensive Manifesto for Puducherry Assembly Elections
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday unveiled its detailed election manifesto for the upcoming Puducherry assembly elections, presenting a wide array of welfare measures, infrastructure promises, and targeted benefits for key demographic groups including women, students, and fishermen.
Festival Support and Women-Centric Initiatives
Puducherry BJP president V P Ramalingam announced that the party will provide one free LPG cylinder during Pongal and another during Vinayagar Chaturthi to every household in the Union Territory. This initiative aims to ensure that festive celebrations are not disrupted by fuel shortages or financial constraints.
In a significant move to support female education, the manifesto introduces the 'Anbu Thangai' scheme, which will provide free electric scooters to meritorious Class XII girls who score high marks in public examinations. Approximately 3,000 students are expected to benefit from this program annually.
Party sources revealed that the scooters will likely be low-speed models equipped with 1.2-kWh batteries offering a range of about 60 kilometers. These vehicles typically do not require a driving license, making them accessible to young students while addressing transportation challenges that often hinder higher education pursuits.
Major Infrastructure and Transportation Upgrades
The BJP's vision for Puducherry includes substantial rail infrastructure improvements, proposing a Vande Metro service between Chennai and Puducherry and a Vande Bharat link connecting to Mysuru. The manifesto also calls for double broad-gauge lines in both Puducherry and Karaikal regions, along with renaming the Puducherry railway station after the celebrated Tamil poet Subramania Bharati.
Public transportation modernization forms another key pillar, with plans to introduce electric buses, upgrade existing depots, improve connectivity to temple areas, and add Saturday services across the region to enhance accessibility for all residents.
Employment and Education Reservations
Addressing local employment concerns, Ramalingam pledged that the BJP would work with the Union government to implement 60% local reservation in Group C and Group D government jobs for Puducherry youth. Additionally, the party promises 20% reservation for Puducherry students in all Union Territory central universities, creating enhanced educational opportunities.
Leadership Campaign and Political Commentary
Later on Sunday evening, BJP's newly appointed national president Nitin Nabin campaigned for National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates across Puducherry constituencies. Following a roadshow in Thirunallur, Nabin assured voters that the double-engine government, backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee, would fulfill all poll announcements made in the manifesto.
Nabin also criticized Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing him of displaying a pattern of disrespect toward political opponents. "Kharge has insulted Modi in the past," Nabin stated, suggesting that such statements reflect the Congress party's mindset amid what he described as their ongoing electoral decline.
The Puducherry assembly elections represent a crucial political contest in South India, with the BJP seeking to expand its presence in the Union Territory through this comprehensive manifesto addressing both immediate welfare needs and long-term development goals.
