BJP 2024 Lok Sabha Poll Manifesto: With the 2024 Lok Sabha polls inching closer, the BJP has released its manifesto, known as the ‘Sankalp Patra’, today with a roadmap on ‘Viksit Bharat’. While the BJP ‘Sankalp Patra’ manifesto focuses on development across different sections of the country, in the last two Lok Sabha elections, the party had fulfilled most of its core ideological promises, including the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the withdrawal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

The earlier BJP manifesto pledged ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’.

Here’s a lookback at what the party had promised:

• Construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya
• Implementation of Uniform Civil Code
•  Return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley
•  Consensus building on abrogation of Article 370 in J&K
•  Providing 33 per cent reservation for women in parliamentary and state assemblies
•  National healthcare programmes, delivery, medical education, and financing
•  Digitisation of government records
•  Improving lives in rural India
•  Launching a national campaign for saving the girl child and educating her
•  Initiating the process to bring back black money held abroad and setting up black money task force.
•  Promised to double farmer incomes
•  Empowering youth via self-employment 

Delivery of 2014 promises

• Ram temple: Several consultations were held to build the Ayodhya Ram temple. The Supreme Court had also ordered a mediation through a three-member panel
• Women’s development: The Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme was launched in 2015 
• Health: Ayushman Bharat was launched in 2018
• Black money: A task force was set up to tackle black money issues
• Jobs: Financial schemes such as StartUp India and Skill India were launched
• Digitisation: Digital India programme was launched to enable citizens to make online and digital transactions
• Uplifting rural life: Around 7 crore households received free LPG connections under the Ujjwala scheme, which was launched in 2016. Schemes such as Subhagya Yojana were also launched.

Key Issues Raised in 2019 Manifesto

• With the call of “Phir Ek Bar, Modi Sarkar”, the BJP manifesto ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election repeated some of its 2014 promises, including 33 per cent reservation for women, abrogation of Article 370, implementing the UCC and building the Ayodhya Ram temple. The party also promised to eliminate practices such as Triple Talaq and Nikah Halala.
• The other key promises included:
• Enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Bill
• Implementation of National Registration of Citizens
• Zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism and strengthening armed forces, with a focus on combing infiltration
• Interest-free Kisan credit card loan
• Creating consensus on simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections

Delivery of 2019 promises 

• The Supreme Court on August 22, 2017, declared the practice of Triple Talaq unconstitutional. 
• In August 2019, the Narendra Modi regime revoked Article 370, which had given J&K significant autonomy.
•  In September 2023, President Droupadi Murmu approved the women’s reservation Bill which sought to provide 33 percent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The legislation was passed in the new Parliament building.
• The Ayodhya Ram Mandir was inaugurated on January 22, 2024, after the first phase of the temple’s construction was made possible by a Supreme Court judgment in 2019 on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit. The Hindu litigants argued that the Babri Mosque was constructed at the site of a temple marking the birthplace of Lord Ram. The top court ruled that the disputed 2.77 acres in Ayodhya be awarded to the deity, Ram Lalla Virajman. The five-judge bench directed the Centre to establish a trust within three months to supervise and manage the construction of a temple on the site. PM Modi led the rituals of the  "Pran Pratishtha" ceremony as lakhs of people watched the live-telecast of the ceremony on their televisions.  Addressed a gathering of more than 7,000 people, the PM said, “Today, our Ram has arrived. After a long wait for ages, our Ram has arrived.” The Uniform Civil Code Bill, passed by the Uttarakhand Assembly on February 7, 2024, became a law with the President giving her assent.
• A panel headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind supported the concept of “One Nation One Election”.
• The Centre notified implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in March 2024.
• Confident of securing a third consecutive win in the Lok Sabha elections with a “Ab ki Baar 400 Paar” tagline, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to work on a 100-day plan to execute the ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ programme.