If elected, the BJP says it will take over sand and granite mining to compensate the Rs 27,000 crore revenue loss from the sale of liquor. (Representational Image)
The BJP is the latest party in Tamil Nadu to join the prohibition bandwagon. Launching its manifesto on Thursday, the party also promised reviving Jallikatu, the ancient bull taming festival banned by the Supreme Court.
If elected, the BJP says it will take over sand and granite mining to compensate the Rs 27,000 crore revenue loss from the sale of liquor.
The party has also promised waiver of farm loans, freeing temples from government control and bringing them under committees headed by eminent citizens, 20 litres of free RO treated (filtered) water for every family and uninterrupted power supply.
The BJP also said it supports deep sea fishing for fishermen who are often arrested by the Sri Lankan navy. However, many point out that the party's promise for a separate ministry for fishing ahead of the last Lok Sabha elections is yet to be honoured.
For a state battling for its share of Cauvery River waters from neighboring Karnataka, the BJP has promised the Cauvery Management Board, ordered by the Supreme Court which its own government at the Centre is yet to act upon.
Senior leader L Ganesan said, "We would do that, but the solution is interlinking rivers. We would interlink River Krishna and Cauvery, not via Karnataka but directly at Hogenakkal."
With a 5.4 per cent vote share in the last poll, the BJP has never won an assembly seat in Tamil Nadu. In the last Lok Sabha polls, its alliance won just two seats. But now it has lost most of its allies including Actor Vijayakanth's DMDK and the PMK. Tamilisai Soudararajan, BJP's Tamil Nadu President, said "Modi ji have become a symbol of development. The BJP has given two years of corruption free government after we replaced the Congress, known for its scams every day."