Won’t release manifesto for J&K polls; vision document to focus on governance, not Article 370
After raising political temperatures in Kashmir Valley over the need to hold an intensive debate on abrogation of Article 370 and according it top priority as a “national issue,” the BJP has now decided to avoid further discourse on the contentious matter. As such, the party may not release its manifesto for the 2014 Assembly polls in J&K.
In its place, a core team of the party leaders has been entrusted with the task of drafting a crisp “vision document,” outlining the party’s agenda of governance in the State to accomplish its Mission 44 plus.
According to party sources, “the vision document would focus on providing good governance, job creation for the burgeoning population of unemployed youth in the State, promoting the State as a world-class tourist destination, creating health care, road, power infrastructure and addressing the issues of refugees and other deprived classes in the State.”
According to highly-placed sources in the BJP, “the decision to dump the printed copies of the party manifesto has been taken at the highest level in the wake of the controversy over Article 370”.
The party leadership was due to release the manifesto during the visit of BJP chief Amit Shah last week, but a last minute change in the schedule prevented the formal release.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his maiden election rally in Kishtwar, decided to skip any reference to Article 370 and focused on issues of governance and prevailing corruption in the State.
Senior State BJP leaders when contacted by The Pioneer during the day shied away from commenting on the exact date of release of the party manifesto.
However, sources in the party revealed that the party is preparing its vision document and the same may be released ahead of the second round of polling due on December 2. The first phase of polling is scheduled to take place on November 25 on 15 Assembly seats, including six in Jammu.
Till date only the Congress has formally released its party manifesto. The PDP is slated to release the same on November 26.
The Congress has once again promised the setting up of the Delimitation Commission, two separate regional councils for Jammu & Kashmir regions besides strengthening the Panchayati Raj system.
The Congress manifesto also targeted the youth and promised job creation for them with renewed focus on skill development. The Congress party also accorded top priority to the rehabilitation of the flood-affected population. The party repeated its resolve to pay adequate attention to issues of refugees, Kashmiri Pandits, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and economic empowerment of women in the State.