Modi promises more social spending and making India a manufacturing hub before the elections

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged Sunday to boost social spending, develop infrastructure and turn India into a global manufacturing hub as companies move away from China, as he unveiled the election platform for his Hindu nationalist party.

Modi aims to remain in power for a third five-year term. He and other BJP leaders made their promises in the world's largest democracy before the start of the elections, which will be held in several stages.

Modi promised to increase the social programs he introduced during his party's 10-year rule, including millions of free homes for the poor, as well as free health care, cooking gas and grains. His government paid 6,000 rupees ($73) annually to low-income farmers.

He stated that the measures taken by his government have lifted 250 million people out of poverty since he took power in 2014. India is the most populous country in the world with a population of more than 1.4 billion people. Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda said that less than 1% of Indians now live in extreme poverty.

India holds its elections on different days and in different regions of the country, over a period of several weeks. Voting to elect the national parliament will begin on April 19 and end on June 1, with the results being announced on June 4.

Most opinion polls expect Modi and the BJP to win. But the opposition Congress party claims Modi has undermined Indian democracy and favored the interests of the wealthy.

Modi campaigned extensively across the country, promising to boost the Indian economy to $5 trillion by 2027, up from about $3.7 trillion today. It also promises to put India on track to become a developed nation by 2047, when the country celebrates the centenary of its independence from British settlers.

He said on Sunday that his party will make India a hub for pharmaceutical, energy, tourism and semiconductor sectors. He added that India will modernize its infrastructure, including railways, air transport and navigable areas. He added that he would try to increase employment opportunities for youth and access to affordable credit for young entrepreneurs.

Modi is widely popular in India, where he is seen as a champion of the country's Hindu majority, and has ruled during a period of rapid economic growth.

However, critics say another BJP mandate would undermine India's status as a democratic and secular country, noting that its decade in power saw attacks by Hindu nationalists against the country's minorities, especially Muslims, while reducing space for the opposition and independent media. .