The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its manifesto, on May 1st, for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Elections. It lists 16 promises.

1. They will provide three free cooking gas cylinders to all BPL families annually; one each during the months of Yugadi, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Deepavali.
2. They will set up an Atal Ahara Kendra in every ward of every municipal corporation in the state to provide affordable, quality and healthy food across the state.
3. They will launch the Poshane scheme through which every BPL household will be provided with half litre Nandini milk every day and 5 kg siri dhanya–through monthly ration kits.
4. They will implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Karnataka based on the recommendations given by the high-level committee, which is to be constituted for the purpose.
5. They will launch ‘Sarvarigu Suru Yojane’ under which the Revenue Department will identify and distribute 10 lakh housing sites across the state to siteless/homeless beneficiaries.
6. They will launch the “Onake Obavva Samajika Nyaya Nidhi” scheme through which they will provide a matching deposit up to Rs 10,000 on 5 year fixed deposits made under the scheme by women of SC, ST households.
7. They will improve “the ease of living” of apartment dwellers in Bengaluru by constituting the Karnataka Residents’ Consultative Committee to reform the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act, 1972, and to modernise the grievance redressal mechanism.
8. They will introduce the Visvesvaraya Vidya Yojane under which the state government will partner with eminent individuals and institutions for holistic upgradation of government schools to top class standards.
9. They will launch the Samanvaya Yojane, which will drive collaboration between SMEs and ITIs.
10. They will provide career support for aspirational youth by providing financial incentives for students to pursue coaching for IAS/KAS/banking/government jobs.
11. They will strengthen healthcare infrastructure in the state through Mission Swasthya Karnataka by establishing one Namma Clinic, equipped with diagnostic facilities, in every ward, of municipal corporations. Additionally, they will also provide a free annual master health check-up for senior citizens.
12. They will develop Bengaluru for the next generation by designating it as ‘State Capital Region’, and executing a comprehensive, technology-led city development programme–centred around ease of life, cohesive transportation networks and enabling ecosystems for making Bengaluru a Global Hub of Digital Innovation.
13. They will transform Karnataka into a premier hub of Electric Vehicles, by setting up charging stations, supporting 1,000 start-ups, converting BMTC buses into fully electric buses, and creating an “EV City” on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
14. They will set up a Rs 30,000 crore K-Agri Fund to establish micro-cold storage facilities, agro processing units in all GPs, undertake modernisation and digitisation of APMCs, accelerate farm mechanism, establish 5 new Agro-Industry clusters, and three new Food Processing Parks.
15. They will allocate Rs 1,500 crore to develop the Kalyana Circuit, Banavasi Circuit, Parashurama Circuit, Kaveri Circuit, and Ganagapura Corridor, to transform Karnataka into India’s most favoured tourist destination.
16. They will broaden the scope of Production Linked Incentive Scheme by incorporating a comprehensive plan that encompasses logistics, industrial clusters, connectivity, and export facilities, generating 10 lakh manufacturing jobs ‘Beyond Bengaluru’.

Read more: 10 guarantees in Aam Aadmi Party’s Karnataka manifesto

Bengaluru specific

1. They will establish a world-class Multi-Modal Transport Hub “Concorde Bangalore”, similar to WTC transport hub, New York, which will act as a single central node for all public and on-demand transport services.
2. They will create a Bengaluru Unified Transit Network, inspired by Transport for London, to revolutionise the city’s commuter experience through public engagement and continuous evolution. Bengaluru Unified Transit Network will consist of:Launch an integrated ticket-booking app called “My Bengaluru MyRoute”, which will work as a one-stop app for bookings across various modes of transport. Launch a Universal Travel Card called “My City My Card”, which will facilitate travel across all modes of public transport in Bengaluru
3. They will develop a comprehensive mobile application that integrates AI-driven solutions to tackle Bengaluru’s traffic challenges in areas like Silk Board Junction, Hebbala, Gorgunte Palya, Mekhri Circle, Sarjapur and others. The app will offer intelligent traffic management, demand-responsive transit, smart parking solutions, and enhanced traffic safety, transforming the urban mobility experience for all citizens.

Digital 4.0

1. They will launch the Yuva-Karunadu – Digital 4.0 under which Karnataka’s first Global Innovation Hub, inspired by the Tel Aviv model, will be established, with a startup incubator and accelerator to provide 250 select youth every year with a seed capital of Rs 50 lakh each, and an enabling policy environment.
2. They will launch the YuvaGuru-Digital 4.0 scheme to support private
   incubators and accelerators in establishing state-of-the-art incubation centres in Bengaluru. They will provide a one-time capital grant of maximum 50% or Rs 1 crore (whichever is less) for Fixed Cost Investment (excluding land & building) along with providing incubator setups.
3. They will establish a gigabit optical fibre network along the lines of the network laid in Germany and Japan, to act as an information highway in Bengaluru with enhanced internet speeds.
4. They will launch the ‘Virtual Vidya’ scheme, a pilot program to revolutionise learning through cutting-edge technology by setting up a ‘Virtual Reality Lab’ in every upper primary government school that will create an immersive, realistic and memorable learning experience.
5. They will transform Bengaluru into the world’s new age intellectual capital by establishing a cutting-edge “Tech-led Transformation Research Centre”. This centre will focus on AI, ML, quantum computing, blockchain technology and robotics, fostering both original and applied research to drive innovation, collaboration, and -sustainable growth across various industries.
6. They will enhance the Digital Governance in Bengaluru by introducing Bengaluru On Board, a dashboard, to help citizens and officials access local information related to governance. The dashboard will also facilitate integrated planning and project management across various government departments and agencies.
7. They will establish Smart Water for Bengaluru to optimise water usage, reduce waste, and improve sustainability of the existing water systems. We will use advanced technologies such as sensors, real-time data analytics, and automated control systems to monitor and manage the city’s water supply.

Launch a ‘Mission Reclaiming Rajakaluves’ to:

a. Create an integrated storm water drainage system, including connecting missing links, building new drainage systems and desilting of existing drains.

b. Connect the storm water drainage system network with appropriate waterbody outlets.

c. Remove encroachment over drains and create pedestrian pathways.

Improve ‘ease of living’ in Bengaluru apartments by:

a. Constituting Karnataka Residents’ Welfare Consultative Committee, which will seek to examine and suggest amendments to the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act, 1972, to protect the rights of homebuyers.
b. Ensuring that all resident welfare association -related compliance applications will be made available online, and an effective status monitoring system will be put in place to ensure timely processing of the same.
c. Establishing a Karnataka Home Owners’ Grievance Redressal Cell to ensure seamless resolution of various difficulties faced by RWAs.

They will install CCTVs equipped with AI facial recognition software in all the streets of Bengaluru, which will be linked to the Integrated Command and Control Center (ICCC) for the safety and security of women.

[Content courtesy official BJP Manifesto with minimal edits]

Also read:

• Bangalore Apartments’ Federation presents charter for elections–property ownership, public transport among key concerns
• Citizens for Malleshwaram constituency formulates Climate Action manifesto
• Civil Society Forum presents a comprehensive manifesto for Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023