Lucknow: Free WiFi at prominent public places, “pink toilets” for women and free water connections to all homes are among the key promises made in BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ released here on Sunday ahead of the Uttar Pradesh civic polls.
The polls are being seen as the first major electoral test for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who unveiled the ‘Sankalp Patra’, a virtual poll manifesto, at the BJP headquarters here along with deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, state Urban Development minister Suresh Khanna and UP BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey.
At the event, Adityanath spoke about providing services transparently and without “partiality”. He also spoke of ‘gaushalas’ and shelters for other animals.
However, opposition parties termed it as an eyewash, with the SP terming the Sankalp Patra as “Chhal Patra” (Document to befool the people). The Congress accused the BJP of not fulfilling past promises.
“As many as 652 urban local bodies across the state are going to polls, the highest number so far. This includes 16 municipal corporations. Earlier, there were 12 municipal corporations in the state,” Adityanath said.
He expressed happiness that the Ayodhya and Mathura-Vrindavan municipal corporations, formed by his government, were going to polls for the first time.
The ‘Sankalp Patra’ comprises 28 promises (sankalp) including better drinking water facilities, improved street lighting, free community toilets, pink toilets for women, grant of Rs 20,000 for the construction of personal toilets, provision of adarsh nagar panchayat, e-tendering and ‘kanji’ houses for stray animals.
It also seeks to protect the interests of small shopkeepers, promises free water connections to every house, time-bound disposal of public grievances, proper bus service, clean environment, effective implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, beautification of parks, house tax exemptions to freedom fighters and their dependents.
Development of cities as ‘smart cities’, better parking arrangements, auditoriums and exhibition grounds and awarding the best performing workers were among the other promises.
As many as 24 districts will go to polls on November 22, while 25 districts will go to polls on November 26, and 26 districts on November 29.
Counting of votes for 16 nagar nigams, 198 nagar palika parishads and 438 nagar panchayats will be done on December 1.
More than 3.32 crore voters will be eligible to cast their ballots at 36,269 polling booths and 11,389 polling stations.
