The ruling BJP on Saturday promised job or self-employment to at least one member of each family, extension of PM’s free ration scheme for poor, procurement of wheat at Rs 2,700 per quintal and rice at Rs 3,100 per quintal from farmers in its manifesto for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.

The manifesto titled ‘Modi ki guarantee, Bhaajpa ka bharosa’ (Modi’s guarantee, BJP’s trust) is a ‘sankalp patra’ (pledge document). Its major emphasis is on 20 pledges besides several other guarantees, party president J P Nadda said.

“BJP is the only party that has made this document a means to its roadmap and has brought it on the ground,” he claimed. “Our mantra for the welfare of the poor is ‘reform, perform and transform’,” he asserted.

The 20 major pledges include houses along with monthly monetary income to beneficiary women of Laadli Behna yojana, job or self-employment to one member of each family, establishment of MP Institute of Technology on lines of IIT and MP Institute of Medical Science on lines of AIIMS, free education till Class 12 to all students of poor families, extension of five years to PM free ration scheme for poor, launch of CM Jan Awas yojana for housing to poor, nutritious breakfast along with mid-day meal in government schools, Rs 12,000 yearly to farmers and Rs 4,000 per sack to tendu leaf collectors.

The manifesto also promises Rs 2lakh to all women till the age of 21, gas cylinder at Rs 450, free education from KG to PG for girls of poor families, Rs 1,500 per month pension to senior citizens and disabled persons, 100 units electricity at Rs 100 and construction of six new road expressways.

The BJP has also pledged that the state government would incur treatment and medical expenses that exceed Rs 5 lakh of the Ayushman scheme, increase 2,000 seats in medical colleges and fill up vacant posts of doctors and nurses.

Focusing on the state’s economic development and infrastructure, the BJP has pledged to take Madhya Pradesh into the country’s top three economies, while making the state’s economy Rs 45 lakh crore in the next seven years, double the state’s per capita income and attract foreign direct investment (FDI) worth Rs 20 lakh crore.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan slammed the Congress, which had questioned why the BJP was releasing its manifesto on ‘Narak Chaturdashi’ on Saturday.

He said the Congress has no knowledge of the Indian culture, history and traditions or the Hindu religion. He said it was on Narak Chaturdashi that Lord Krishna had slain demon Narkaasur and rescued 16,000 sisters from the demon’s captivity.

The opposition Congress had released its manifesto on October 17.

The state poll is slated for November 17.