BJP releases first 'Delhi-specific' manifesto ahead of LS poll

New Delhi, April 2: Hoping to wrest seven Lok Sabha seats in national capital, BJP today made an array of promises like granting full statehood, reducing power tariff by 30 per cent and controlling price rise within one month if voted to power, in its first 'Delhi-specific' manifesto ahead of general elections.

The party, which had lost all the seats to Congress in 2009 Lok Sabha polls, said it will set up a helpline for the national capital to receive complaints of corruption which appears to be on the lines of the call centre launched by the then AAP government in January.

It also promised to bring police, DDA and other land-owning agencies under one roof to streamline governance. The manifesto was released at a function attended by senior Delhi BJP leaders and the party's all seven candidates. The BJP is yet to come out with its national manifesto.

Speaking on the occasion, Delhi BJP chief Harsh Vardhan, who is contesting from Chandni Chowk, said if BJP is voted to power at the Centre, it would work towards granting full statehood to Delhi.

"We have been demanding full statehood for last five decades. A bill in this regard was introduced in parliament when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, but it could not be made into a law after a report was not filed on time by the select committee "This election which is being fought to make Narendra Modi the prime minister of the country, the first thing we will demand from him is to give the status of full statehood to Delhi," said Vardhan.

Vardhan said BJP was aiming to make Delhi as the "solar energy capital" of the country by encouraging people to install solar panels on roof tops of their houses.

He reiterated BJP's promise made before the assembly election that power tariff will be reduced by 30 per cent by promoting competition among private power distribution companies. He said the discoms will be brought under the purview of RTI act and CAG.

PTI