Haryana elections: BJP promises jobs for ex-Agniveers, MSP for 24 crops

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday promised ₹2,100 monthly to women, guaranteed jobs to Agniveers from Haryana who are not retained by the forces, 200,000 state government jobs, and purchase of 24 crops at minimum support price (MSP) in its manifesto for the October 5 assembly elections in the northern state.
The grievances of the Agniveers and farmers are seen as major factors for the BJP’s tepid performance in the state in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, and the issues are expected to play an even bigger role in next month’s assembly polls, when the ruling party will vie for a third consecutive term.
The BJP and the Congress won five Lok Sabha seats each, the first time in a decade that the ruling party didn’t sweep the state.
Releasing the ‘Sankalp Patra’, Union health minister and BJP chief J P Nadda said the party-led government’s rule over the past decade had made the “state ghotala-mukt (scam free) and vikas-yukt (development oriented) and is marching on the path of progress”.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we formed the government at the Centre for the third time,” he said, referring to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s return to power this summer.
“You will clearly see Haryana has changed and the difference is visible. We have talked of ‘non-stop Haryana’, a state which is now marching on the path of progress under the BJP rule. The ‘kharchi-parchi’ system prevalent under Congress rule has ended,” he added.
Read more: Congress poll guarantees: Haryana set to bear financial burden of populism
“Kharchi-parchi” is a reference to the alleged corruption prevailing earlier under the Congress regime.
The manifesto was released in the presence of chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, Union ministers M L Khattar, Rao Inderjit Singh and Krishan Pal Gurjar and head of the party’s poll manifesto committee OP Dhankar, at Rohtak.
Facing flak from opposition parties over the Agnipath scheme, Nadda assured a government job for every Agniveer from Haryana.
“Under the Agnipath scheme, every young person in Haryana who is not retained after their four-year tenure will be guaranteed a government job in the state,” Nadda said.
The Agnipath scheme was introduced by the central government on June 14, 2022 for short-term induction of personnel in the armed forces. It sought to recruit soldiers for only four years, with a provision to retain 25% of them in regular service. Those recruited under the new scheme are called Agniveers.
The government said replacing the legacy system would lower the age profile of the armed forces, ensure a fitter military and create a technically skilled war fighting force capable of meeting future challenges. But the decision sparked widespread protests.
The controversy became a major electoral issue in Haryana, where tens of thousands of young men train for years to get into the armed forces. The Congress promised to scrap Agnipath if it came to power and the discontent around the scheme was seen as a major reason why the BJP slipped from 10 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 to just five earlier this year.
The BJP, in its manifesto, also promised to purchase 24 crops at MSP.
Taking on the Congress, Nadda said the opposition party only raises slogans and “sheds crocodile tears” but it is the BJP which has taken numerous steps for farmer welfare.
“Have you seen (senior Congress leader and former chief minister) Bhupinder Hooda shed tears for farmers or not? They used to give MSP only on eight crops (when they were in power). Our government is giving MSP on 24 crops. What we say, we deliver,” he said.
To be sure, the state government was already buying 14 crops at MSPs. Last month, the cabinet gave approval to a proposal of buying 10 more crops at MSP for the kharif season.
A farmers’ protest has roiled the Punjab-Haryana border since February 13, with the cultivators seeking legal guarantees for higher crop prices, relaxation of strict environmental regulations, pensions and withdrawal of police cases filed against them during the 2020-21 farmers’ protests against the now-repealed three agricultural laws.
On Wednesday, the Congress had promised to introduce a legislation on MSP if the party is voted to power in the elections.
Nadda promised ₹2,100 per month for all women under a scheme named Lado Lakshmi Yojna. He also said that cooking gas cylinders will be given at ₹500 under the Har Ghar Grihni Yojna.
Besides, he said that 200,000 government jobs will be given to the youngsters without “kharchi-parchi”. The party promised employment opportunities for 500,000 youngsters and monthly stipends through the National Apprenticeship Promotion scheme.
The BJP also promised 500,000 houses in urban and rural areas if it is voted to power after the assembly elections, besides a scooter for every college-going female student in a rural area under the Avwal Balika Yojna.
Scholarships for Haryana students belonging to Other Backward Classes and Scheduled Castes in any government medical and engineering colleges in the country will be given, the BJP announced.
The party said that under the Chirayu-Ayushman scheme, each family will be given free medical treatment of up to ₹10 lakh and an elderly person above 70 years of age in each family will be provided free medical treatment of up to ₹5 lakh.
The party promised the start of an inter-city express metro service between Faridabad and Gurugram. Sports nurseries will come up in every district for the Olympic Games, the manifesto said.