Delhi Election 2025: BJP to release its manifesto at 2 pm today. Cash scheme for women, free bus rides expected

Delhi Election 2025: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will release its manifesto for the Delhi Election 2025 today, January 17. The manifesto—‘Sankalp Patra’—will be released by the party's national president and Union Health Minister JP Nadda at 2 pm.

The Delhi Election 2025 for 70 assembly seats is scheduled for February 5. The results will be announced on February 8.

The saffron party has not been in power in Delhi for 27 years. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, comfortably won assembly elections in 2015 and 2020. Before that, the Congress was in power from 1998 until 2013.

In the last two elections, the BJP was left with single-digit seats in the Delhi assembly, and the Congress was completely wiped out after ruling Delhi for 15 years before 2013.

What's expected in BJP manifesto?

According to media reports, the BJP's manifesto is expected to strike a balance between freebies, subsidies, and infrastructure development.

The ‘Sankalp Patra’ may offer a monthly financial aid scheme for women ranging between ₹2,500 to ₹3,000, along the lines of the schemes that are already in place in other BJP-ruled states such as Ladli Behna Yojana in Madhya Pradesh and the Ladki Bahin Yojana in Maharashtra.

The scheme will perhaps be a counter to ruling AAP's Mahila Samman Yojana – the scheme that has promised ₹2,100 a month for women in the national capital. The Congress party has promised ₹2,500 a month cash scheme for women, if it comes to power in the national capital.

The BJP is also expected to promise free bus rides for students and senior citizens. The AAP provides free bus rides for women in Delhi.

The BJP manifesto is expected to promise continuing welfare and subsidy schemes like 200 units of free electricity provided by the AAP government. The saffron party is likely to promise up to 300 free units of electricity for households and up to 500 free power units for religious places, according to a report in Indian Express.

The manifesto may include “jaha jhuggi, waha makaan”, a solar policy akin to the central one, cleaning up of Yamuna within a year, and razing of the “kooda pahads (mountains of garbage)", among other promises.

The AAP, seeking a straight third term to power, has promised free healthcare for all senior citizens, monthly assistance of ₹18,000 to priests in temples and granthis in gurudwaras, apart from its Mahila Samman Yojana and existing welfare schemes.

The Congress has guaranteed free electricity for up to 400 units and free health insurance worth ₹25 lakh for all residents of Delhi, apart from its ₹2500 a month for women scheme. The Congress has also promised to provide LPG cylinders at ₹500, free ration kits and 300 units of free electricity if voted to power in the upcoming Delhi Election 2025.