The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its election manifesto for the Puducherry Assembly polls, promising a series of welfare and development measures. The manifesto was released by Union Minister and senior BJP leader Dr Mansukh Mandaviya in the presence of Home Minister A. Namassivayam, BJP State President V. P. Ramalingam and other BJP leaders.
Key promises include the provision of two free LPG cylinders per year to all ration card holders, one each during Pongal and Vinayagar Chaturthi. To empower women, the party has proposed the “Pink Autos Initiative” with subsidies of up to fifty thousand rupees and free driving training, along with the ‘Anbu Thangai Thittam’ to provide e-scooters to meritorious Class 12th girl students. The BJP has also promised 60 per cent domicile reservation in Group C and D government jobs and 20 per cent reservation for local students in Union Territory public universities, besides expediting recruitment to fill vacant government school teacher posts.
For fishermen, the party has assured an increase in financial assistance during the 61-day fishing ban period from 8 thousand rupees to 12 thousand rupees, along with sanctioning 5 thousand houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Farmers have been promised an additional top-up of 3 thousand rupees over PM-KISAN, taking total annual assistance to 9 thousand rupees, along with livestock support and a 2 hundred crore rupees crop relief fund. The manifesto also proposes creating 10 thousand internships with a monthly stipend of 10 thousand rupees for youth.
On infrastructure, the BJP has pledged to address drinking water issues by setting up 30 Water ATMs, desalination plants in Puducherry and Karaikal, and advanced filtration systems. The party has also announced plans to upgrade railway infrastructure, including renaming Puducherry Railway Station after Mahakavi Bharathiyar and introducing a weekly Bharathiyar Garima Express. It has also proposed running Vande Metro services between Chennai and Puducherry and a Vande Bharat train connecting Mysuru and Puducherry.
The manifesto further includes promises on revival of sugar mills, establishment of ‘Atal Unavakam’ affordable meal centres, promotion of MSMEs with a 1 thousand crore rupees credit guarantee fund, and development of Puducherry as a wellness and medical tourism hub. District-specific initiatives, anti-drug measures, and enhanced funding for panchayats have also been outlined in the election manifesto.
