The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday promised to implement a Uniform Civil Code in Karnataka and said it will constitute a high-level committee to make its recommendations on the matter. The party also said it will roll out the National Register of Citizens to “drive out all illegal immigrants” from the state.

The promises are part of the poll manifesto of the BJP released by party president JP Nadda in Bengaluru ahead of the Assembly elections in Karnataka. Polls in the state are scheduled to be held on May 10 while the counting of votes will be taken up on May 13.

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Releasing the poll manifesto, Nadda said that the party has designed its vision document for the state centred around the themes of food security, quality education, affordable and accessible healthcare, assured income support, social justice and development and prosperity for all.

“The manifesto for Karnataka has not been formulated sitting in an Air-conditioned room, rather a due exercise has been done; a great amount of toil and perseverance by our workers who visited every nook and corner of the States got suggestions and connected to lakhs of the households before this content was created,” Nadda said.

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Besides the promises of a UCC and the NRC, the BJP has also promised to set up a special wing in Karnataka police called the “Karnataka – State Wing against Religious Fundamentalism and Terror (K-SWIFT)” to combat terror activities in the state.

Other promises on BJP’s manifesto for Karnataka include:

  • Three free LPG cylinders to BPL families during the months of Yugadi, Ganesh Chaturthu and Deepavali
  • Rs 1,000 crore fund for restoration and upkeep of ancient temples across the state.
  • Half litre Nandini milk free for BPL families under Poshan Yojana
  • Developing Karnataka into an EV hub
  • Increase in widow pension from Rs 800 to Rs 2,000
  • 10 kg grains for poor, including 5 kg rice and 5 kg millets
  • 10 lakh houses for the homeless under ‘Sarvarigu Suru Yojane’
  • Constituting Karnataka Residents Welfare Consultative Committee to reform Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act, 1972 and modernise grievance redressal mechanism
  • Holistic upgradation of government schools under Visvesvaraya Vidya Yojane
  • Rs 30,000 cr K-Agri Fund to establish micro-cold storage facilities, agro-processing units in all Gram Parishads, five new agro-industry clusters and three new food processing parks.
  • Seed capital of Rs 10 lakh to one youth self-help group from all grama panchayats of the state to fund their own start-up
  • One-time grant of Rs 25,000 to poor families under ‘Daiva Yatre’ to places like Tirupati, Ayodhya, Kashi and others.

The manifesto also has special promises for the state’s capital city of Bengaluru. The BJP has promised to launch Yuva-Karunadu-Digital 4.0 which will see the establishment of Karnataka’s first Global Innovation Hub. The government has also promised Gigabit optical framework along the lines of those in Germany and Japan to act as an information highway with enhanced internet speeds.

Also on the BJP’s agenda for Bengaluru is the installation of CCTVs equipped with AI facial recognition features on all streets of the capital. The party has also promised smart water solutions for the capital to optimise water usage, reduce waste and improve sustainability.