In a tactic which the party hopes would impress voters and last-minuters, the ruling BJP in Gujarat released its election manifesto for the Assembly polls a day before the first phase of polling which takes places on Saturday in 89 constituencies.

Apparently decided long back by the party’s ‘think-tank’ as a last-minute arrival, the manifesto promises overall developement of the State in all sectors if the party is voted to power for yet another term. The delay in release of poll manifesto was strongly objected to by opposition leaders such as Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Ahmed Patel. It was almost as if the BJP was holding it back as a ‘trump-card’.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley released the ‘vision document’ in Ahmedabad stating that Gujarat’s GSDP was the highest among all the States in the country.  “Unlike the Opposition’s tactic of indulging in caste-based politics, the BJP would strive for unity in the State and work towards improving all sections of the people,” he added. The BJP has promised multi-specialty hospitals in Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot besides offering Rs.21 lakhs medical insurance to all middle-class families.

Jaitley criticized Congress’ poll manifesto in which it has assured quota for ‘Patidars’ and other upper castes besides farmers’ loan waiver terming such assurances were fraught with dangers of ‘constitutional impossibility’ and ‘financial improbability’. On its part, the Congress Party dismissed the BJP’s poll manifesto as having ‘nothing’ for the welfare of the people.

The second phase of polling is to take place in the remaining 93 constituencies next Thursday (14th December) while the counting of votes would be taken up along with the Himachal Pradesh Assembly seats on 18th December.