(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party is prioritizing free electricity and stricter rules to penalize forced inter-religious marriages, ahead of elections in India's most populous state -- sticking to its twin planks of development and religion.
The BJP promised that if it returns to power in Uttar Pradesh state it will enact even tougher punishments for those found guilty of indulging in “love jihad” -- a reference to an alleged conspiracy of Muslim men luring Hindu women into marriage for conversion. The party will also provide free electricity to farmers to irrigate their fields and work to attract about 10 trillion rupees ($134 billion) in investments over the next five years, according to its election manifesto released in state capital Lucknow Tuesday.
The state heads to polls on Thursday, a monthlong exercise broken into several phases. Votes will be counted on March 10.
India's Most Populous State Brings Law to Fight ‘Love Jihad'
The ruling BJP, which brought in the controversial law on interfaith marriages in 2020, says violators will face a minimum 10-year jail term and 100,000 rupees in fines. Currently the offense attracts jail terms ranging from one to 10 years.
Elections in Uttar Pradesh are a significant mid-term test for Modi and his party in the run-up to the 2024 general elections.
Other key promises in the manifesto:
- Setting out minimum support prices for wheat and rice
- Promising women voters two free cylinders of cooking gas each year
- Establishing a ‘well-equipped' government hospital in every district
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