Khattar changed image, picture of Haryana: Nadda

The Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government in the past five years has changed the image and picture of Haryana that was ridden with corruption and nepotism, BJP working President J.P. Nadda said on Sunday.

"There is not a cosmetic but a fundamental change in Haryana in five years," he said here.

He said the political culture of the state has been drastically changed.

"It is now corruption-free, development oriented and transparent government," Nadda told .

He said the election manifesto of the party, which was released here on Sunday, is a serious and well studied document.

"This commitment paper represents all sections of society. A lot of effort has been put in to draft it by including suggestions ranging from grassroots to every sections of society," he said.

Comparing his party's manifesto with the rival Congress, which promises loan waiver of farmers and job reservations to women, Nadda said, "Ours is a realistic but not populist. Even a person who is standing at the last of the pedestal is focused.

The manifesto addresses host of issues, from farmers' distress to the safety of girls. It also promises to create job opportunities for state residents, he said.

The former Union health minister said the state's top priorities include making the state free from tuberculosis and malnutrition.

He said the BJP promised to open 2,000 wellness centres in the state, if returned to power, to facilitate the people to get basic screening for hypertension, diabetes and dental.

He said for the farmers there is a provision of interest-free crop loans up to Rs 3 lakh.

The party also promised to provide skill training with an outlay of Rs 500 crore to 25 lakh youths and fitness centres in all colleges.

"We will be going to repeated our government both in Haryana and Maharashtra. Here in Haryana, we will definitely cross the 75-plus mark," a confident Nadda added.

The state ruling BJP seems confident of pro-incumbency amid divided Congress and fractured state's family-ruled regional faction the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), whose 11 sitting legislators defected and are in fray as a saffron party candidate.

The Khattar-led government, which had won 47 of the 90 seats in the Assembly in the last elections and formed the government in the state for the first time, is targeting 75-plus seats in the October 21 elections.

( With inputs from IANS )