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Most <keyword id="21473307" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP-allies" source="keywords">BJP allies</keyword> have kept their cards close to chest on the issue of <keyword id="19934070" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Uniform-Civil-Code" source="keywords">Uniform Civil Code</keyword>, which Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword> strongly backed in his Independence Day speech, with the party's largest partner <keyword id="19910625" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telugu-Desam-Party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Telugu Desam Party" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Telugu Desam Party">Telugu Desam Party</keyword> (TDP) saying that it will wait for details to emerge before finalising its stand. The JD(U), the BJP's second biggest ally, said the party supports any such reform but its spokesperson K C Tyagi added that it must be pushed only after evolving a consensus by speaking to all stake-holders, including religious groups and states. Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu, the head of TDP Parliamentary Party, told PTI that his party will wait for the details of any proposal related to the UCC before finalising its stand. Another party ally <keyword id="20280818" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Janshakti-Party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Lok Janshakti Party" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Lok Janshakti Party">Lok Janshakti Party</keyword> (<keyword id="20354493" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ram-Vilas" source="keywords">Ram Vilas</keyword>) has also been non-committal, with its president and Union Minister Chirag Paswan recently highlighting cultural, linguistic and regional diversities across the country to wonder how everyone can be brought under one umbrella. Last month, he said that his party will wait for a draft on the UCC before taking a stand. Tyagi cited JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister <keyword id="19907431" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nitish-Kumar" source="keywords">Nitish Kumar</keyword>'s submission in 2017 to the Law Commission to make his point. Kumar had said, "Any attempt to impose a UCC without obtaining through substantive consultations the concurrence of various religious groups, especially the minorities, could lead to social friction and an erosion of faith in the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion." However, the proposal for simultaneous elections, which was also staunchly advocated by Modi on Thursday, generally enjoys support among the BJP's allies. Tyagi said his party is in complete agreement with the BJP on the issue. Both JD(U) and the LJP(Ram Vilas) had extended their support to the concept 'one nation one election' in their submission to the high-level committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind. Another important BJP ally <keyword id="19905334" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shiv-Sena" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Shiv Sena" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Shiv Sena">Shiv Sena</keyword>, which is headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has been supportive of both UCC and simultaneous elections. Modi had on Thursday made an unequivocal pitch for a uniform civil code in the country, asserting that a "secular civil code" in place of the existing "communal" one is the need of the hour. He also pushed forcefully for 'one nation one election'. Frequent elections are an "obstacle" in the country's growth, and every scheme is seen as a consequence of one poll or another happening every few months, he said in his speech on India's 78th Independence Day. The UCC has been a key ideological plank of the BJP, while the party has also taken a strong stand in favour of <keyword id="20033454" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="simultaneous-polls" source="keywords">simultaneous polls</keyword>, promising both measures on its successive manifestos.

Most BJP allies keep away from supporting Uniform Civil Code, positive to idea of simultaneous polls

<ul><li>Experts believe that the market has mostly priced <keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bjp" source="keywords">BJP</keyword>’s win as a single party as well as a BJP-led coalition.</li><li>If BJP gets a single-party majority, progress could be seen in clean energy, and higher infra spending, says <keyword id="19996294" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ubs" source="keywords">UBS</keyword>.</li><li>Women-centric policies have been improving, especially after female turnout was higher than that of males in 2019. </li></ul>As <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> marches towards elections, research firms are projecting various scenarios based on possible outcomes. As per a report by the multinational investment bank UBS, if the ruling BJP gets a single-party majority, there could be policy continuity, which can bode well for business sentiment. Even the elusive private capex recovery might also receive a push. “Further progress in supply-side reforms could be seen, including the clean energy transition, higher infrastructure spending - both digital and physical, a manufacturing push and other targeted policy initiatives towards the youth, poor, women and farmers,” says UBS. Alternate scenarios Experts believe that the market has mostly priced BJP’s win as a single party as well as a BJP-led coalition. If a scenario where the BJP fails to get a majority on its own and a BJP-led coalition comes to power, reform momentum could broadly remain similar. However, some tough policy decisions may not progress and/or are likely to be put on hold, including disinvestments, the land bill, and a uniform civil code. “However, comfort about fiscal discipline could be less of a concern for investors in this scenario,” says UBS about a BJP-led coalition winning. The third outcome could be a weak coalition led by the INDIA alliance. Even in the third case, the economic policy approach would be largely aligned. However, in such a scenario, markets could have concerns about fiscal discipline and a less decisive government, leading to lags in implementing supply-side reforms. “There could also be a delay in the private corporate capex recovery due to weaker business confidence caused by the surprise political outcome,” opines UBS. Rural economy on backfoot Even as the broader economy’s growth has been on track — GDP is expected to grow at 7.6% as per government forecasts — the rural economy has been on a backfoot. Based on FMCG companies’ quarterly earnings, rural market recovery has remained elusive for most of the financial year, barring a few short-lived upticks. Apart from tepid rural wage growth and the government's supply-side measures to contain inflation, rural demand was also impacted by weather-related uncertainty, including the subpar rainfall last year due to El Niño conditions. “However, the Modi government did not announce any substantial pro-rural populist schemes in the run-up to the 2024 elections to entice voters. Instead, the government focused on inclusive growth (partly to cover pandemic shock) with expenditure on rural-focused schemes (including drinking water, employment support, housing and rural roads) up 16% CAGR over FY19-24,” said UBS. Women-centric approach Moreover, the BJP-led government has been focussing on women with policies centred around them, since 2023. This could be also due to the rising percentage of women in the electorate. Particularly, in the 2019 election, female voter turnout was higher than that of males. India has around 970 million people who are above 18 years of age and eligible to vote. Based on the 2019 election turnaround, it’s expected to have 317 million women voters and 340 million men voters in the 2024 election. “The growing inclination of political parties to offer targeted welfare benefits to women (cash support, free bus travel, cooking gas subsidies, women-centric legislation amongst others) is closely linked to the rising percentage of women participating in the electoral process over the years,” says the UBS report. The <keyword id="19895876" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election-commission-of-india" source="keywords">Election Commission of India</keyword> has recently announced that the 2024 general election will be held in seven phases between 19 April and 1 June. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Political continuity could bode well for clean energy & infra spending: UBS

Chennai, Tamil Nadu's ruling <keyword id="19897149" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dmk" source="keywords">DMK</keyword>, a key constituent of the INDIA bloc, in its manifesto released on Wednesday promised to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 if the opposition alliance wins the <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> polls. Restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and holding polls there, scrapping the New Education Policy 2020, slashing fuel prices, annulling Article 361 of the Constitution that provides protection to governors from legal action and appointment of Governors following consultation with Chief Ministers, were among the key promises made by the DMK. The recommendations of the M S Swaminathan committee will be adopted to ensure that MSP for agricultural products "is set at total production cost plus 50 per cent," the DMK said. Also, it announced that if voted to power, the INDIA bloc will withdraw the Agnipath scheme and reintroduce "permanent recruitment service" in the Indian Armed forces. "From now on, population census, including caste-wise census and census concerning people below the poverty line, will be conducted by the Union government once every five years simultaneously." The DMK will firmly insist on the removal of Article 356, which allows the dismissal of duly elected state governments and imposition of President's rule. The Congress party's ally in Tamil Nadu said that "new constraints" on States' borrowing capacity, imposed by the union government beyond the limits in each state's FRBM-equivalent Act will be eliminated. "A recommendation to share cess revenues with states will be made. It will be proposed that the Finance Commission increase the horizontal devolution of tax revenue (to all States together) from 42 per cent to 50 per cent." The Union government's financial contributions to states will be based on the income tax and GST collected in those states. Thus, financial contributions will be assured based on the taxes collected within each state. The finance provided to states will be permanently determined based on the 1971 population. A 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and legislative assemblies will be implemented immediately. "DMK will insist that the Union government enact a law providing menstrual leave to women, emphasizing the journey towards gender equality." Petrol and diesel prices "will be set at Rs 75, Rs 65 (per litre)" and cooking gas cylinders shall be made available at Rs 500 (per cylinder). "The introduction of the Uniform Civil Code will be strictly prevented" to preserve India's secular nature as stated in the Constitution's preamble. "The 2019 CAA law will be repealed, and all minorities will be treated equally without any discrimination. The recommendations of the Sachar Committee for the improvement of the lives of Muslims and other minority communities will be implemented." Facilitation will be provided for <keyword id="21027983" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sri-lankan-tamil" source="keywords">Sri Lankan Tamil</keyword> refugees to get Indian citizenship. Assistance will be provided to those who wish to return to Sri Lanka. Also, the manifesto said efforts will be made to implement reservation for minorities at the all-India level, similar to Tamil Nadu. "The financial assistance previously provided to minority educational institutions has now been stopped. Action will be taken to resume this assistance." For "political" reasons, funding from foreign countries to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has currently been stopped. "The Foreign Exchange Regulation Act will be properly amended, and measures will be taken to ensure these financial aids continue to reach NGOs without any problems." The proposal of 'One Nation, One Election' will be abandoned, and for the allocation of Lok Sabha seats to states, the current practice, based on the 1971 census will continue. All "people-unfriendly" laws introduced by the BJP government over the last 10 years will be reviewed immediately by the INDIA alliance government. The "labour-hostile laws" introduced by the BJP government will be "reformed." Through the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF), the Union government will ensure a minimum pension of Rs 5,000 per month. The number of working days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act will be increased from 100 to 150 days. "A wage of Rs 400 will be provided across states/ union territories nationwide." Disbanding the current NITI Aayog, set up by the BJP regime and establishing again the Planning Commission to draft plans based on the requests of state governments is another assurance the DMK has made. "Measures will be taken to reclaim Kachchatheevu to ensure India's security and to protect the welfare of the fishermen." A mandatory "cooling-off period" of 2 years will be introduced for retired judges and secretaries before they could join private companies or political parties, the manifesto said. Waiving loans and interests for farmers in nationalised and scheduled banks, waiver of educational loans for students, monthly entitlement of Rs 1,000 for all women in every state and formation of <keyword id="21027984" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="state-development-council" source="keywords">State Development Council</keyword> by including Chief Ministers were among the promises made by the DMK. Exemption for Tamil Nadu from the NEET exam and complete removal of toll booths on national highways, forms part of poll promises of the Dravidian party. Further, the DMK said amendments will be made to relevant laws to ensure that state governments, elected by the people, appoint Vice-Chancellors to state-run universities, rather than Governors. Stopping government's divestment from public sector enterprises, implementing the Sethusamudram project, law to ban online gambling, setting up a <keyword id="19895345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="supreme-court" source="keywords">Supreme Court</keyword> branch in Chennai, providing statehood for <keyword id="19901639" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="puducherry" source="keywords">Puducherry</keyword>, equal funding for all state languages including Tamil, were among the host of other promises made by the DMK. Establishment of Tamil departments in varsities and stopping construction of <keyword id="19950851" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mekedatu" source="keywords">Mekedatu</keyword> dam were also promised by the DMK. "The <keyword id="19996334" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vishwakarma-scheme" source="keywords">Vishwakarma Scheme</keyword>, introduced by the BJP government to encourage caste-based occupations, will be restructured on the basis of social justice."

DMK vows to repeal CAA if INDIA bloc is voted to power

<keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s <keyword id="35090" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exports" source="Orion">exports</keyword> declined 10.3% year-on-year to $34.98 billion in May this year, the government data showed on Thursday. Imports also declined 6.6 per cent to $57.1 billion against USD 61.13 billion recorded in the same month last year, the data showed. <keyword id="84" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="commerce" source="Orion">Commerce</keyword> Secretary <keyword id="326740" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sunil-barthwal" source="Orion">Sunil Barthwal</keyword> said headwinds still continue on the global trade front. The Department of Commerce and Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade are working on an exports strategy and focusing on 40 countries, Barthwal added. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/what-is-uniform-civil-code-and-how-it-can-affect-your-life/slidelist/101017964.cms">What is Uniform Civil Code and how it can affect your life</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/travel/india/list-of-things-to-buy-in-bangalore/slidelist/101017626.cms">Affordable things to buy in Bangalore</a>

India's exports fall 10.3% to $34.98 billion in May

New Delhi: In the world's largest democracy, every five years, a spectacular theatrical performance unfolds, captivating crores of people with its vibrancy, diversity, and sheer scale. Yes, we're talking about the <keyword id="19923279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha-elections" source="keywords">Lok Sabha Elections</keyword> in India. And we have the dates now for the grand finale: June 4! The Election Commission of India on Saturday announced the dates for the general elections to be held from April 19 to June 1 in seven phases. Chief Election Commissioner <keyword id="20110344" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajiv-kumar" source="keywords">Rajiv Kumar</keyword> announced today that the results will be announced on June 4. Phase 1 voting will be held on April 19, Phase 2 on April 26, Phase 3 on May 7, Phase 4 on May 13, Phase 5 on May 20, Phase 6 on May 25, and Phase 7 on June 1. “We will take democracy to every corner of the country. It is our promise to deliver a national election in a manner that we... remain a beacon for democracy around the world,” said the Chief Election Commissioner. <div type="image" title="Polling schedule" agency="ANI" msid="108550459" hostid="261" sizebytes="17144" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Polling schedule (ANI)&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The tenure of the present <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> ends on June 16 and a new House will have to be constituted before that. As the tenure of Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Odisha assemblies will also end in June, these states will get an early taste of the ‘one nation, one election’ process, wherein voters will be casting votes for both Lok Sabha and assembly elections. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="subhead" text="Model code of conduct kicks in">Model code of conduct kicks in</cmsannotation> With the announcement of election dates, the model code of conduct comes into immediate effect. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar asked all political parties and their leaders to strictly adhere to the poll code. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) mandates that no party or candidate shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences, create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic, according to the set of guidelines issued by the EC. It lists out the dos and don'ts regarding general conduct, meetings, processions, conduct of parties and their candidates on polling day, polling booth, observers, party in power and guidelines on election manifestos. According to the guidelines, all parties and candidates shall avoid scrupulously all activities which are "corrupt practices" and offences under the election law, such as bribing of voters, intimidation of voters, impersonation of voters, canvassing within 100 meters of polling stations, holding public meetings during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the close of the poll, and the transport and conveyance of voters to and from the polling station. Political parties and candidates shall ensure that their supporters do not create obstructions in or break up meetings and processions organized by other parties. As soon as the poll code comes into effect, the party in power be it at the Centre or in the State or states concerned, shall ensure that no cause is given for any complaint that it has used its official position for the purposes of its election campaign. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="subhead" text="Major players and issues">Major players and issues</cmsannotation> Undoubtedly, the scale and magnitude of a nationwide election in a country like India involve numerous complex considerations. However, the major political parties are hoping to narrow down the voter’s priorities to a few major foundational aspirations on which powerful campaigns can be built. Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword>, and his party <keyword id="19931558" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharatiya-janata-party" source="keywords">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> (BJP), are confident of reelection for a third consecutive term. They have pitched 'Modi Ki Guarantee' as the main theme of his campaign. PM's website describes it as a guarantee for the development of youth, empowerment of women, welfare of farmers, and all those marginalised and vulnerable who have been ignored for decades. In a letter to the citizens of India on March 15, the Prime Minister noted, “The trust and support of 140 crore Indians inspires and motivates me. The transformation that has taken place in the lives of the people is the biggest achievement of our government over the last 10 years. These transformative outcomes are the result of the sincere efforts made by a determined government to improve the quality of life for the poor, farmers, youth and women.” BJP is building its campaign by highlighting the welfare schemes of the government, infrastructural development across the country, and the rejuvenation of the country’s cultural heritage. The major opposition party <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="congress" source="keywords">Congress</keyword>, on the other hand, is banking on its <keyword id="20366194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nyay" source="keywords">Nyay</keyword> guarantees to woo voters. The grand old party saw some success in the state elections of Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana when it pitched such 'Nyay' guarantees to the people. For the Lok Sabha polls, the party has put forward its 5 guarantees aimed at ensuring justice for youth, farmers, women, labourers, and participatory justice. The INDIA bloc, including the Congress, has been raising the issue of unemployment and rising prices of essential commodities. They have stated repeatedly that the lack of jobs is the single biggest issue and sought to corner the government over the issue. The BJP has hit back citing job growth and a fast-growing economy. Other major poll issues include electoral bonds, abrogation of Article 370, <keyword id="19963301" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="caa" source="keywords">CAA</keyword>, Uniform Civil Code, Ayodhya Ram Mandir, farmer protests for legal guarantee of MSP, and the Viksit Bharat vision of the government. Overall, India is poised to see an enthralling clash of ideologies, ideas, and personalities throughout the election season as the EC has opened the race for ruling the most populous country on Earth. (With inputs from ANI and PTI)

Elections 2024: Lok Sabha general elections in 7 phases from April 19, results on June 4; Here’s all you need to know

New Delhi, Jan 8 () The government is unlikely to implement major reforms despite "prolonged economic slowdown" in the country and may continue to focus on Hindu nationalist themes for political dividends to make up losses in recent state elections, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.
The country's gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first quarter was 5 per cent and 4.5 per cent in the subsequent three-months period.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, fiscal constraints and price pressures will preclude fiscal and monetary stimulus in the short-term.
Meanwhile, emboldened opposition-controlled state governments are likely to obstruct the progress of major projects backed by the central government, further undermining the country's growth potential, it added.
"Despite the prolonged economic slowdown (real GDP grew by just 4.5 per cent year on year in July-September), the government is unlikely to implement major economic reform.
"Instead of unpopular economic measures, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to maintain its focus on popular Hindu nationalist themes as it seeks to rebound from its poor performance in recent state elections," the EIU said in its report.
The government has reacted defensively to the drumbeat of poor economic data in recent months, lashing out at critics and questioning the basis of some official reports.
In response to criticism from prominent business people over the state of the economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman warned that such rhetoric could harm India's national interest. She separately suggested in late November that India was incapable of experiencing a recession.
Officials recently scrapped a government survey that showed an unprecedented decline in consumer spending between 2011-12 and 2017-18, arguing that the methodology was flawed.
Rather than responding more robustly to the economic slowdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP are likely to remain focused on divisive social issues that they believe will pay political dividends, the EIU added.
Several far right groups, including some affiliated with the BJP, have long been pushing for India to be recast as a Hindu country. Since winning re-election in May 2019, the government has altered India's only Muslim-majority state by revoking Jammu and Kashmir's statehood and special status under the constitution, it noted.
Further, it also won a Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for a Hindu temple to be built on the site of a 16th century mosque destroyed by Hindu nationalists in 1992. In addition, new citizenship legislation, seen widely as a means of denying citizenship to Muslims who lack documentation, was enacted in December, sparking nationwide protests.
"With Mr Modi strongly backing the citizenship measure in spite of the protests, the next major social measure on the government's agenda will probably be a uniform civil code. Such a measure would introduce a more progressive system of marriage and divorce, supplanting India's long standing practice of allowing Muslims to follow different practices," the report added.
While Modi's hold over the national government remains unquestioned, the BJP has lost control of five state assemblies since late 2018, setting the stage for greater acrimony between the government and independently minded state legislatures.
"The BJP is unlikely to improve its performance significantly in the state elections due in 2020. The party lost control of the mining and steel-centric state of Jharkhand on December 23 and faces an uphill battle to defeat the anti-corruption Aam Aadmi Party in elections in New Delhi scheduled for February 2020," the EIU noted. SP
BAL

Govt to prioritise Hindu nationalism over economic issues: EIU

<ul><li>Shiv Sena, a regional party that takes hardline on Hindu nationalism, has recommended a ban on burqas in India as an “emergency measure.” </li><li>The proposal was made in Sena’s mouthpiece, the Marathi language daily, Saamna. </li><li>The proposal has come three days after Sri Lanka banned face coverings after terror attacks killed 350 people.</li></ul>Just three days after Sri Lanka issued a ban on all face coverings in the wake of Easter Sunday terror attacks, a regional party in India affiliated to Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has openly called for banning face masks and the burqa. Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena party, which is known for its parochial politics and majoritarian Hindutva ideology, has reportedly <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/shiv-sena-calls-for-ban-on-burqa-in-public-places-2031149">recommended </a>a similar ban in India, as an “emergency measure to ensure that security forces do not encounter difficulties in identifying anybody.” South Asia, largely, has been on an alert since the terror attacks in Sri Lanka that killed over 350 people. In India, a <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/karnataka-police-pick-up-former-army-official-for-hoax-terror-threat-call/story-S1MzbHW8Mp3s4tLwSKh1oK.html">hoax call</a> warning the Karnataka police, claiming knowledge of a possible terror attack in South India, led to much panic and confusion led to much panic and confusion. While the Sri Lankan government’s ban stopped short of <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/sri-lankans-share-views-face-veil-ban-190429120515773.html">naming</a> the niqab, burqa or the hijab, the ban is being seen as a crackdown on the country’s Muslim community and has <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/sri-lankans-share-views-face-veil-ban-190429120515773.html">divided opinion</a> in the island nation. The call for the ban in India from Shiv Sena is not surprising, and it’s likely to open up a wider political debate on the garment identified with Muslim women. Given the party’s close ties with the RSS, the ideological parent of the BJP, the polarising rhetoric may even find vocal support. After all, the general elections are underway in the country and 30% of the electorate is yet to vote. The BJP, Sena’s ally, itself has led the charge against some of the Muslim social practices. The regressive “triple talaq” -- where the husband can divorce a wife just by saying “talaq” thrice -- has been one of the party’s flagship campaigns. Even as India’s supreme court sought to <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/sc-dismisses-plea-challenging-constitutional-validity-triple-talaq-ordinance/articleshow/68558153.cms">ban </a>the practice through an ordinance, a bill introduced by the BJP banning triple talaq faced opposition in the upper house of the Parliament. There is also a <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/bjp-pledges-to-legislate-bill-to-prohibit-and-eliminate-triple-talaq-nikah-halala-119040800772_1.html">campaign </a>against “nikah halala” -- the practice that forces some Muslim women to marry another man in order to be married again to their divorced husbands. BJP has also promised to introduce a uniform civil code that will exclude any existing privileges afforded by Indian law based on religion. This was an election promise in 2014 too, but the debate hasn’t progressed since.

Sri Lanka ban on ‘face veil’ sparks burqa debate in India

<ul><li>The incumbent <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> government in India led by the <keyword id="58687" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Janata-Party">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> (BJP) has released election <keyword id="42763" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manifesto">manifesto</keyword> 3 days before the first polling date. </li><li>As expected, the 2019 manifesto builds on a lot of pledges the government made in its interim budget announcement and on the campaign trail, especially with regards to rural distress, job creation and national security. </li><li>The manifesto - the first ever under Prime Minister Narendra Modi - comes a week after rival party Congress released its own, giving the BJP the chance to counter the opposition party’s promises, specifically NYAY, its minimum income support scheme. </li></ul>The incumbent Narendra Modi government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has released its election manifesto 3 days before the first polling date. Speaking at the launch of the manifesto, Modi said that the government had made 75 proposals in line with India’s 75-year independence celebration in 2022, all of which would be implemented in a “time-bound” manner. As expected, the 2019 manifesto builds on a lot of pledges the government made in its interim budget announcement and on the campaign trail, especially with regards to rural distress, job creation and national security. The Prime Minister <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pm-promises-farmers-income-doubling-by-2022/article24212508.ece">had already promised </a>to double all farmers incomes by 2022. Under the government’s already-announced PM Kisan Yojana, cash will be transferred to beneficiaries, which hold 2 hectares of land or less, in three installments of ₹2000 each every year, culminating in a total payment of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/as-expected-the-modi-administration-just-launched-a-direct-benefit-transfer-scheme-for-the-nations-farmers/articleshow/67786710.cms">₹6,000 per year</a>. Under pressure after rival Congress’ income support scheme, the BJP has extended this benefit to all farmers, as opposed to only smallholding farmers, which will significantly increase the outlay of the scheme. In addition to the farmer handouts, the BJP outlined a pension scheme for informal sector workers in its interim budget. The scheme proposes a monthly pension of ₹3,000 above the age of 60. It is also offering tax breaks for workers in the formal sector that earn less than ₹500,000 a year. In another play towards farmers, the manifesto promised interest-rate free credit cards loans less than ₹100,000 to all farmers. The BJP also plans to mobilise ₹100 trillion of investments into infrastructure within the next five years and improve road connectivity between cities by doubling the amount of national highways It also wants to ensure that every Indian doesn’t live more than 5 kms away from a banking outlets and push India to a top 20 position in the World Bank and IMF’s Ease of Doing Business index from current level <a href="http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=184513">of 77</a>. The policy document also reiterated the BJP’s commitment to implementing a uniform civil code across all Indian states and revoking <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/what-is-article-35a/article19567213.ece">Article 35A</a> of the Constitution, which it explains went against the interests of non-permanent residents of Jammu &amp; Kashmir as t conferred special rights on residents especially in the acquisition of property and eligibility for public sector jobs. This manifesto lays down the foundation of a continuing government, finance minister <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword> said. The manifesto announcement by party president <keyword id="6355521" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="amit-shah">Amit Shah</keyword> started with a rundown of the Modi administration’s purported achievements over the past five years - a crackdown on corruption and black money, strikes against terrorists, a reining in of prices, the construction of 80 million toilets etc in line with <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/what-promises-did-the-bjp-make-in-its-2014-manifesto/story/334812.html">its 2014 manifesto</a>. The manifesto had 75 pledges to celebrate 75 years of India’s independence in 2022. These included the doubling of farmers incomes, the continued strengthening of the armed forces and border security patrols, the passage of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill, the construction of the also-contentious Ram Mandir and the expansion of its Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme. The manifesto - the first ever under Prime Minister Narendra Modi - comes a week after rival party Congress released its own, giving the BJP the chance to counter the opposition party’s promises, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-can-congress-nyay-scheme-end-indias-poverty/articleshow/68577960.cms">specifically NYAY,</a> its minimum income support scheme. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/congress-manifesto-released-plans-for-separate-farmers-budget/articleshow/68684769.cms">India’s Congress party proposes a separate farmer’s budget and single rate GST in its election manifesto</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-heres-a-comparison-of-the-income-sops-offered-by-the-bjp-and-the-congress/articleshow/68576480.cms">Here’s a comparison of the election sops offered by the BJP and the Congress</a>

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