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BJP manifesto: Modi woos farmers ahead of election India election 2019: Ex-finance minister says India can now tackle poverty
(1 day later)
India has entered full election mode: voting is due to begin on 11 April, with the final ballot cast more than five weeks later on 19 May. Every day, the BBC will be bringing you all the latest updates on the twists and turns of the world's largest democracy.India has entered full election mode: voting is due to begin on 11 April, with the final ballot cast more than five weeks later on 19 May. Every day, the BBC will be bringing you all the latest updates on the twists and turns of the world's largest democracy.
The BJP releases election manifesto Former finance minister: 'India can afford minimum income scheme'
What is happening?What is happening?
The governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its election manifesto, which promises a slew of welfare schemes to India's farmers - a key vote bank in a country where nearly half the population is engaged in agriculture. In an interview with BBC Tamil, India's former finance minister P Chidambaram has defended his opposition Congress party's pledge to create "the world's largest minimum income scheme".
A farmers' income scheme that targeted only small farmers (those who owned up to two hectares of land) has now been expanded to all farmers in the country - they will each now receive 6,000 rupees ($86; £66) yearly. The scheme, which is called Nyay (Justice), guarantees a basic income of 72,000 rupees ($1,035; £791) yearly to 50 million of India's poorest families. At an estimated cost of $52bn, it's Congress' biggest offering to voters so far.
Small farmers and traders will also now receive a pension from the government; and the party has renewed its earlier promise of doubling farmers' incomes by 2022. "We now have the capacity to implement a scheme of this nature," Mr Chidambaram said, adding that it was possible given India's GDP, its projected growth over the next five years and the total expenditure by central and state governments.
"We could not have done this 20 years ago. We could not have done it even 10 years ago. But today we believe India has the capacity to directly address the issue of poverty among the bottom 20% of Indian people," he said.
Why is this important?
Since the Congress party released details about the scheme last month in its manifesto, opponents have questioned how the party plans to fund such a mammoth scheme.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley slammed the party over its pledge, calling it a "bluff announcement".
"A party with such a terrible track record of poverty alleviation has no right to make lofty assurances," Mr Jaitley told reporters on 24 March.
At a rally in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, PM Narendra Modi also attacked the scheme - referring to it as a a "big scam".
Others in the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have said that India's poor are already receiving more support under existing schemes.
But given the scale of the Congress' scheme, it is likely to capture the imagination of voters - and the BJP could see that as a threat.
India votes 2019
On Monday, the BJP released its election manifesto
What happened?
The governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its election manifesto, which promised a slew of welfare schemes to India's farmers - a key vote bank in a country where nearly half the population is engaged in agriculture.
It promises to expand a farmers' income scheme that targeted only small farmers (those who owned up to two hectares of land) to include all farmers in the country - they would each receive 6,000 rupees ($86; £66) yearly.
The manifesto pledges to provide a pension for small farmers and traders; and the party has renewed its earlier promise of doubling farmers' incomes by 2022.
National security is a major part of the manifesto - India's home minister Rajnath Singh repeatedly referred to India's "zero tolerance against terror" while speaking after the manifesto was released.National security is a major part of the manifesto - India's home minister Rajnath Singh repeatedly referred to India's "zero tolerance against terror" while speaking after the manifesto was released.
The document includes other welfare measures, from permanent housing for the poor to piped water in every household to water management and recycling.The document includes other welfare measures, from permanent housing for the poor to piped water in every household to water management and recycling.
Why does this matter?Why does this matter?
It isn't surprising that the BJP manifesto targets farmers because Indian agriculture, blighted by a depleting water table and declining productivity, is in crisis. And protests by farmers have regularly made headlines in the past five years.It isn't surprising that the BJP manifesto targets farmers because Indian agriculture, blighted by a depleting water table and declining productivity, is in crisis. And protests by farmers have regularly made headlines in the past five years.
Like the Congress, the BJP has also promised to reserve 33% of seats in the parliament and state legislatures for women. Both parties had committed to this ahead of past elections as well.Like the Congress, the BJP has also promised to reserve 33% of seats in the parliament and state legislatures for women. Both parties had committed to this ahead of past elections as well.
Some have said the manifesto makes no major promises or announcements that will be hard to deliver.Some have said the manifesto makes no major promises or announcements that will be hard to deliver.
The BJP's manifesto also underlines some of the party's core pledges, which are popular with its right-wing supporters. These include cancelling the "special status" granted to Kashmir by the Constitution; and building a Hindu temple at a disputed site where a mosque once stood but was demolished by Hindu mobs in the early 1990s.The BJP's manifesto also underlines some of the party's core pledges, which are popular with its right-wing supporters. These include cancelling the "special status" granted to Kashmir by the Constitution; and building a Hindu temple at a disputed site where a mosque once stood but was demolished by Hindu mobs in the early 1990s.
What happened last week?
You can read a full recap of everything that happened here.
But here are the highlights:
Coverage from previous weeks:Coverage from previous weeks: