Kerala polls: BJP assures to tackle terrorism, crime

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 5: BJP in Kerala today (Apr 5) promised voters it would bring in a special legislation to tackle terrorism and organised crimes if voted to power in the April 13 assembly polls.

The party's election manifesto, released by BJP central spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy here, announced a slew of welfare schemes covering various sections and projected the line of development pursued by the Narendra Modi Government in Gujarat as a role model.

Central parity in pay for state employees, 10 per cent reservation for the poor among the forward classes, a bill to restore alienated land to tribals and formation of a body for welfare of non-resident Keralites were some of the highlights of the manifesto.

The party would give priority to develop a rail link to the famed Sabarimala temple, visited by millions of devotees from all parts of the country and abroad. Other major infrastructure projects like Kochi Metro would be vigorously pursued,it said.

Squeezed between ruling LDF and opposition UDF, BJP has not been able to open its account in the assembly so far but has put up candidates in most of the 140 seats in Kerala, leaving a few segments to its allies like JD(U).

The saffron party has been mounting a high-voltage campaign exuding confidence of romping home in one or two segments like Nemom in the state capital, where senior leader and former Union minister O Rajagopal is locked in a three-cornered fight with the LDF and UDF rivals.

PTI