Uttarakhand polls:BJP releases its manifesto

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday released its manifesto for the Uttarakhand Assembly polls. The party's ‘Drishti Patra’ was unveiled by union minister Nitin Gadkari in Dehradun. The BJP has announced several promises including stricter laws against what it calls the ‘Love Jihad’. "We will amend the law of 'Love Jihad' to make it stricter including a provision of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment,” Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Dhami said.

The party promises, expansion of Char Dham project by linking all pilgrimage sites, three free LPG cylinders to the poor in a year, senior citizens pensions to be hiked to Rs 3,600, 50,000 government jobs to the youth, three free LPG cylinders to the poor in a year, Rs1 crore earmarked for Vedic schools. The elections to 70-member Assembly in Uttarakhand will be held on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. 

Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer of the State, Saujanya has said that all arrangements have been made to ensure free and fair poll in all 70 Assembly segments on 14 February. In Dehradun briefing to the media on Tuesday,  Ms. Saujanya informed that for the upcoming assembly elections, there are a total of 81lakhs 72 thousand 173 voters in the state which includes 39lakhs 32 thousand 995 female voters and 42 lakhs,38 thousand, 890 male voters. Additionally, there are total 94 thousand 471 service voters in the state, which includes 2 thousand 602 female service voters and 91 thousand 869 male service voters