Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India's leading
opposition party, would aim to create 250 million jobs over the next 10
years as part of an economic development programme that could create 100
new 'smart' cities, its election manifesto will say.
Jobs and urbanisation at the centre of its policy pitch
"The manifesto's priorities, in this order, are jobs, investment, manufacturing and infrastructure," said one party official involved in drafting the document, which is expected to be released next week.
.
By contrast, the Congress party, which was due to unveil its own election manifesto on Wednesday, is running campaign ads that depict smiling artisans making bricks or weaving by hand - an appeal to its core constituency of poor voters.
Narendra Modi, is also campaigning on his record of economic development running his home state, Gujarat, which on many metrics has performed better than the national average over the past decade.
BJP will propose introducing a national general sales tax - seen as key to getting rid of a hodge-podge of existing levies to make tax collection more effective - and streamlining subsidies, a second source said.
But the party is cautious about opening up so-called 'multi-brand' retail to foreign direct investors such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Tesco, as this could pose an existential threat to millions of small traders that constitute a big voter constituency.
"The domestic retail industry needs to be first
Jobs and urbanisation at the centre of its policy pitch
"The manifesto's priorities, in this order, are jobs, investment, manufacturing and infrastructure," said one party official involved in drafting the document, which is expected to be released next week.
.
By contrast, the Congress party, which was due to unveil its own election manifesto on Wednesday, is running campaign ads that depict smiling artisans making bricks or weaving by hand - an appeal to its core constituency of poor voters.
Narendra Modi, is also campaigning on his record of economic development running his home state, Gujarat, which on many metrics has performed better than the national average over the past decade.
BJP will propose introducing a national general sales tax - seen as key to getting rid of a hodge-podge of existing levies to make tax collection more effective - and streamlining subsidies, a second source said.
But the party is cautious about opening up so-called 'multi-brand' retail to foreign direct investors such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Tesco, as this could pose an existential threat to millions of small traders that constitute a big voter constituency.
"The domestic retail industry needs to be first
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