Just days before the start of the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released its election manifesto which had special focus on issues of development and national security.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP chief Amit Shah, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other top party functionaries were present at the event held at BJP headquarters in New Delhi.

The manifesto, named Sankalp Patra, came barely a week after Congress released a 53-page election manifesto promising 34 lakh jobs, farmer welfare and review of AFSPA among several others.

On the occasion, Shah heaped praises on the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi crediting him for India’s success story in the last five years.

“The 2014 election was an election of hopes,” Shah said, adding, “After the 5 year term of the Modi government, the 2019 election will be of expectations.”

Addressing the gathering at the BJP headquarters, Shah said that the BJP has “worked towards providing a decisive government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last 5 years”.

“We came in 2014 with a vision on how to run a country. The period 2014-19 will be written in golden letters when describing India’s development and the country’s reputation in the world,” Shah said in the presence of PM Modi, Finance Minister Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other top BJP leaders.

“Today most households in the country have electricity. There are over 8 crore toilets and 7 crore poor have gas connections. Some 50 crore poor are being given free treatment,” Shah said underlining some of the key achievements of the Modi government.

“In 2014, Indian economy was at the 11th place in the world. We are today the 6th biggest and are moving fast towards becoming the 5th biggest,” he said, adding that the Modi government took 50 major decisions in last 5 years.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajnath Singh said that the manifesto has been prepared after consultations with the public.

Expressing delight at releasing the manifesto, Singh said government ensured that people participate in good governance.

Singh said that the BJP will remain firm on its policy against terrorism and illegal immigration. He also said that “all possibilities will be explored” in the case of the construction of the Ram temple and that BJP will ensure that the construction is completed as soon as possible in a “cordial atmosphere”.

“I want to make it clear that the Citizenship Bill will be passed in both houses but we assure that no one’s linguistic identity and culture will be hit,” he said.

Singh said that a 12-member committee under him was formed to frame the Sankalp Patra. He said that the manifesto was divided into 12 categories to ensure that it is multi-dimensional.