Puducherry polls: BJP, CPI release manifestos

Puducherry, May 4: BJP and CPI today released their respective manifestos for the May 16 Assembly elections, assuring to implement total prohibition in the Union Territory.

While the BJP declared that it would implement total prohibition if voted to power, CPI, which is part of the five-party People's Welfare Alliance, said it would introduce the dry law in a phased manner.

The manifesto of BJP, which is contesting the polls on its own, also assured tax benefits for entrepreneurs starting industries in the Union Territory, holding of civic elections due for several years and reserving 50 per cent of the seats in civic bodies for women.

It promised development of agriculture, introduction of a crop insurance scheme for the farmers, implementation of the Right to Information Act in letter and spirit. Releasing the document at a press conference, senior leader L Ganesan charged the Rangasamy led AINRC government with having failed to function in tandem with the Centre.

Ganesan said the NDA government under the leadership of Narendra Modi had been champion of a "honest, clean and transparent administration" and the manifesto focused on this commitment of the BJP and NDA government for Puducherry.

The CPI's manifesto, released by the party's national council member N Kalainathan, assured that if the PWA was voted to power a separate legislation to establish Lok Ayukta would be enacted to eradicate corruption. All eligible candidates would get jobs, card holders would get quality rice through public distribution system.

It said steps would be taken to procure statehood for Puducherry and transparent administration. The Centre would be persuaded to waive Rs 6,300 crore loans due over the years from Puducherry to the former, the manifesto said. CPI is contesting seven seats in the 30-member assembly.

PTI