Rs 900 cr start-up fund, 8 lakh jobs: BJP, Congress' big poll promises for Himachal    

Himachal Pradesh Elections 2022: Ahead of elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress have made some big promises to the voters of Himachal Pradesh, which will go to the polls on November 12. Political announcements aside, both national parties have sought to target the youth by promising direct government jobs and creating avenues to create more private jobs. For this, the BJP and Congress have promised to set up start-up funds in Himachal. While Congress has promised Rs 680 crore, the BJP has announced Rs 900 crore.     

The BJP is eying the second consecutive term while the Congress is looking to make a comeback in the state it ruled from 2012 to 2017. The BJP came to power in the hilly state in 2017 after defeating the Congress headed by the then chief minister Virbhadra Singh. This time again, the contest is expected to be bipolar between Congress and the BJP. However, the AAP's aggressive campaign after a stunning win in Punjab is gaining traction and may make the fight trilateral in some assembly segments. 

Himachal has a history of changing the government every five years. And if that holds true, Congress would be the obvious choice for the voters. To stop this trend, the ruling party has come up with a host of promises that it would fulfill if elected back to power for another five years. 

The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and 33% reservation for women in government jobs and new educational institutions top the list of promises by the BJP. During a rally in Himachal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said: "If you elect the Jai Ram Thakur government, I promise you that the common civil code will be implemented in Himachal Pradesh. No one can stop that."  

Here are some other key promises by BJP

8 lakh new jobs
5 new medical colleges
Rs 900 crore start-up fund  
Scooty for girls pursuing higher education
Rs 3000 per month for marginal farmers

Fighting to wrest back the power from the BJP, the Congress too has made some big promises like the revival of the old pension scheme for government employees, free power for up to 300 units, Rs 680-crore fund for start-ups, one lakh jobs, and Rs 1,500 per month for women between 18 to 60 years. 

In the last election, the Congress had won 21 of 68 seats with 41.7 per cent vote share. The BJP, on the other hand, secured nearly 49 per cent of votes translated into 44 seats, 18 more than what it had in 2012. The vote percentage had also shot by 10 per cent compared to what it had got in the previous elections.  

Himachal Pradesh will go to election on November 12 and results will be declared on December 8.