BJP lures voters with colour TV, laptops in vision document

Pulling out every stop to taste the victory in Bihar Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday unveiled its please-all vision document for the poll-bound state. The vision document, released by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in <g data-gr-id="30">Patna</g> has ‘something’ for all the sections of the society as well as sectors.

The party has promised gifting <g data-gr-id="22">scooties</g> to 5,000 girl students who score well in Class 10 and 12 exams on <g data-gr-id="26">an yearly</g> <g data-gr-id="27">basis,</g> while laptops to 50,000 meritorious students of Matric and intermediate.

The document also promises colour TVs for Dalits and Mahadalits, the most underprivileged of the population, and cheaper education loans. The BJP has also tried to appease the watchdog of democracy by promising laptop to all accredited journalists in the state, while a community insurance scheme and <g data-gr-id="28">medi-care</g> plan have also been promised in the vision document, which is prepared by a team headed by Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh.

With eye on getting a larger share of votes from the backward class, the party has put up photos of Sushil Kumar Modi, a leader from the Vaishya community; Nand Kishore Yadav, BJP’s Yadav face and state BJP president Mangal Pandey, who represents Brahmins; along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and national president Amit Shah, on the front page of the vision document. Photographs of other senior party leaders such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani and Kailashpati Mishra have also been published on the backside of the front page.

Jaitley slammed the Nitish Kumar-led grand alliance, saying it was time to end the “jungle raj” in Bihar. “We need to rescue Bihar from backwardness. Congress, JD(U) and RJD have ruled Bihar for 68 <g data-gr-id="29">years,</g> but have not done much for it. Our vision document is a charter for development,” he said.

Besides, the party has <g data-gr-id="20">promises</g> Atal Medicine Centres, which would provide medicines at discounted rates, and plots for the landless.