The manifestos of the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — the principal contenders for power in Karnataka — became the subject of a war of words on Tuesday.
After the Congress said it would seek a ban on Bajrang Dal if it comes to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Congress party earlier locked up Lord Rama and now it wants to lock up the worshippers of Hanuman.
Bajrang Dal is a Hindu right-wing organisation. It raises Hindutva issues like 'love jihad' and purported forced religious conversions and indulges in cattle vigilantism. It is the youth wing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and features Lord Hanuman, a Hindu god, in its logo.
Karnataka goes to polls on May 10. The counting of votes will take place on May 13.
Here we list what the Congress and BJP have promised in their manifestos along with Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), the third main party in Karnataka.
Uniform Civil Code to welfare schemes: BJP's key promises
The BJP has promised some of its ideological drivers in the Karnataka election manifesto.
The BJP has promised Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the National Register of Citizen (NRC), and the creation of a "religious fundamentalism and terror" wing in Karnataka to address the issue.
Karnataka is seen as BJP's gateway to the south of India and observers have seen it as a Hindutva laboratory. In this context, the ideologically-driven promises of UCC and NRC — often seen in the Hindu-Muslim binary among the Hindu Right— show the BJP is not being subtle.
Besides these promises, the BJP has also pledged three gas cylinders a year to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, affordable food centres in every municipal ward, half litre Nandini milk and 5 kg ration kit to BPL families, and construction of 10 lakh housing units for the homeless.
Such promises are in line with the BJP's "beneficiary model" of politics across the state. Under this model, BJP-led governments in the state and the Union government highlight the social welfare schemes like housing, toilet-building, and ration distribution, and use them to garner support. Previous schemes are used as a ground to launch new schemes and keep and extend the support among the voters.
The BJP also promised to upgrade schools and link government industrial training institutes with the industry.
Free electricity, cash to women, 75% reservation: Congress promises
Continuing the trend of promising to offer services and goods free, the Congress party in Karnataka has offered free water and cash to women.
Besides free stuff, Congress has also promised to ban the Bajrang Dal, a move that has not gone down well with the BJP and Hindu Right.
"The Congress Party is committed to take firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred amongst communities on grounds of caste or religion. We believe that law and Constitution is sacrosanct and can not be violated by individuals and Organisations like Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities," reads the Congress manifesto, as per NDTV.
However, since PFI has already been banned by the Centre, the Congress manifesto is effectively aimed at curbing Bajrang Dal.
Overall, these are the following main promises of Congress:
1. 200 free units of electricity per month
2. Rs 2,000 to the female head of household per month
3. 10 kg free rice per person per month to BPL families
4. Rs 3,000 per month for every unemployed graduate and Rs 1,500 a month to every unemployed diploma-holder
5. Free statewide bus travel for women
6. Increase in milk subsidy from Rs 5 to 7
7. Intrest free loan to farmers to be increased to Rs 10 lakh from 3 lakh
8. Filling 2.5 lakh government job vacancies in a year
9. Increasing reservation to 75 per cent
10. Establishing a gig workers welfare board
Return of Muslim quota, free gas and cycles: JD(S) manifesto
The Janata Dal (Secular) has promised to bring back the 4 per cent Muslim quota scrapped by the BJP recently.
Moreover, the JD(S) repeatedly talked of Kannada pride, mentioning the controversy over Amul-Nandini milk and raising the Hindi issue as well.
Besides these, the JD(S) also announced a slew of free delivery of goods to voters, as per The New Indian Express. The JD(S) promises include:
1. Rs 6,000 for six months to pregnant women
2. Rs 2,000 a month to families of agricultural labourers
3. Rs 2,000 a month to auto-drivers and registered security guards
4. A free cycle to 6.8 lakh high school students
5. Electric moped for 60,000 first-grade girl students
6. Five free gas cylinders per year
7. Loan waiver for women self-help groups
Playing the regional identity card, the JD(S) manifesto also raises the Amul-Nandini and Kannda-Hindu issues.
The Express reports, "Playing the Kannada identity card using the recent row involving Nandini and Amul brands, the manifesto states that the State and Union governments have conspired to merge the KMF and Amul...The manifesto also mentions Hindi imposition and states that it has led to the deprivation of Central government jobs to Kannadigas and the party will prevail upon the Centre to allow Kannadigas to write exams for banking and Central government jobs in Kannada."
