Kerala elections: BJP releases manifesto with Rs 3,000 pension, AIIMS and big Sabarimala promise

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday released its manifesto for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections, with party chief Nitin Nabin unveiling a mix of welfare promises, infrastructure projects and temple-related measures for the state.Among the key announcements, the NDA party promised a welfare pension of Rs 3,000 per month for needy women, widows and senior citizens above 70 years. It also announced 20,000 litres of free water per month to every household in Kerala. As part of its welfare outreach, the manifesto said poor families would get two free LPG cylinders every year, one each during Onam and Christmas. It also promised that needy women would be given a Bhakshya Arogya Suraksha card with a monthly recharge of Rs 2,500 for medicines and groceries.On the development front, the BJP promised an AIIMS for Kerala and a high-speed railway network connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur.The manifesto also focused on temple administration and Sabarimala. It said, "We will protect Sabarimala, Guruvayoor and all other places of worship by revamping Devaswom Boards to increase participation of devotees in temple management."It further promised a time-bound CBI enquiry into the Sabarimala gold theft to end corruption.The party also said it would launch a "Sabarimala Infrastructure Development Mission" to undertake large-scale devotee-centric infrastructure development at the hill-top shrine.Kerala will vote in a single phase on April 9, while votes will be counted on May 4. The state has 140 Assembly seats. Left leader Pinarayi Vijayan has been the chief minister since 2016, leading the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.