The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released its much-delayed manifesto on a day India began voting for a new government in the first of a nine-phase general election.
"Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat" (One India, great India) and "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas" are the main slogans of the 40-page manifesto.
Releasing the party manifesto, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said: "We have tried to address immediate problems faced by people such as price rise, employment, black money, policy paralysis and poor delivery or services."
"Food security and rural development will be addressed. We will work towards improving educational institutions and research. We will work for vocational training and development of skills. We have suggested improvement of taxation policy- we are facing tax terrorism at present," he added.
BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, party president Rajnath Singh, LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Ravishankar Prasad, Rama Lal, Thawarchand Gehlot and JP Nadda were present on the dais.
The BJP manifesto has come on a day when the first of the nine phases is being held in six constituencies in the two northeastern states of Assam and Tripura.
The Election Commission on Sunday made it clear that there is no bar on a party to release its manifesto on a poll day, but it cannot be publicised or telecast in areas where elections are being held.
