File photo: (L-R) Rajnath Singh, Narendra Modi, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley
New Delhi:
The BJP will release its much delayed manifesto today with its main slogan "Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat". Today, the release will happen almost three hours after India started voting for its new government through nine phases of polling, a massive exercise spread over 36 days.
The manifesto is a document that details a party's policies and agenda if it is voted to power and this is the first time ever that a major player will release its manifesto on the day of polling.
The BJP has officially attributed the delay to the fact that its leaders were busy campaigning. But, sources said, it was delayed because the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi wanted the document drafted by veteran leader Murli Manohar Joshi to be reworked for "greater clarity and sharper focus."
A review last week reportedly found the manifesto to resemble a laundry list of promises and it was decided then to make the 60-page draft more "lean and mean."
The redrafted 40-45 page manifesto is said to carry a more distinct Modi imprint. He wanted, sources said, the manifesto to showcase themes that he talked about in his "Vision for 2014" speech at a party conclave in January - like economic revival, growth, agriculture and balanced development.
Sources in the BJP said that the draft manifesto was over 60 pages long. A senior leader said that drafted by Dr Joshi, it was found reflecting the old "swadeshi" philosophy, not the "Modi vision" BJP's prime ministerial candidate had listed on January 20, during his speech at the BJP national council in Delhi.
The delay depicts the tussle between the old guard backed by a section of the RSS, BJP's ideological mentor and the new genre of leaders who are pushing for a BJP that addresses modern aspirations.
The two have also been discussing how significant would be the emphasis on Sangh's old mantras like Ram Temple at Ayodhya, Article 370 and uniform civil code. Mr Modi in his nine-month long campaign had skirted Hindutva agendas but recently had to succumb to the pressure and highlight - the anti-cow slaughter and anti-beef exports issues pushed by the RSS affiliates.
The manifesto is expected to be contoured around the slogan "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" (participation of all, development for all) and its thrust is expected to be "economic revival" to indirectly indicate the BJP's charge against the UPA. Mr Modi, 63, who has been Chief Minister of Gujarat since 2001, has made development of the state the centre-piece of his campaign for power at the Centre.
The Congress' Rahul Gandhi scoffed at the delay yesterday, saying at an election rally, "We held consultations with people from all sections for six months to finalise our manifesto. Where is the BJP manifesto? They feel there is no need to ask people. They do not need a manifesto because, according to them, one person (Modi) can think good and bad," he said.
The manifesto is a document that details a party's policies and agenda if it is voted to power and this is the first time ever that a major player will release its manifesto on the day of polling.
The BJP has officially attributed the delay to the fact that its leaders were busy campaigning. But, sources said, it was delayed because the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi wanted the document drafted by veteran leader Murli Manohar Joshi to be reworked for "greater clarity and sharper focus."
A review last week reportedly found the manifesto to resemble a laundry list of promises and it was decided then to make the 60-page draft more "lean and mean."
The redrafted 40-45 page manifesto is said to carry a more distinct Modi imprint. He wanted, sources said, the manifesto to showcase themes that he talked about in his "Vision for 2014" speech at a party conclave in January - like economic revival, growth, agriculture and balanced development.
Sources in the BJP said that the draft manifesto was over 60 pages long. A senior leader said that drafted by Dr Joshi, it was found reflecting the old "swadeshi" philosophy, not the "Modi vision" BJP's prime ministerial candidate had listed on January 20, during his speech at the BJP national council in Delhi.
The delay depicts the tussle between the old guard backed by a section of the RSS, BJP's ideological mentor and the new genre of leaders who are pushing for a BJP that addresses modern aspirations.
The two have also been discussing how significant would be the emphasis on Sangh's old mantras like Ram Temple at Ayodhya, Article 370 and uniform civil code. Mr Modi in his nine-month long campaign had skirted Hindutva agendas but recently had to succumb to the pressure and highlight - the anti-cow slaughter and anti-beef exports issues pushed by the RSS affiliates.
The manifesto is expected to be contoured around the slogan "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" (participation of all, development for all) and its thrust is expected to be "economic revival" to indirectly indicate the BJP's charge against the UPA. Mr Modi, 63, who has been Chief Minister of Gujarat since 2001, has made development of the state the centre-piece of his campaign for power at the Centre.
The Congress' Rahul Gandhi scoffed at the delay yesterday, saying at an election rally, "We held consultations with people from all sections for six months to finalise our manifesto. Where is the BJP manifesto? They feel there is no need to ask people. They do not need a manifesto because, according to them, one person (Modi) can think good and bad," he said.
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