In its manifesto released on Friday, the BJP gave top priority to the abolition of the 4.5 per cent reservation for Muslim OBCs within the 27 per cent quota for OBCs and promised to set up a commission, along the lines set up in Bihar, to recommend measures for the development of the financially weaker sections among higher castes.

On the question of the Ram temple, however, the manifesto reiterated its known position that it is committed to removal of all hurdles in the way of construction of the temple. It has also promised setting up of a ‘spiritual Disneyland’ in Mathura and Vrindavan.

The manifesto, which carried the photo of former prime minister A B Vajpayee on the cover, was released by Om Prakash Singh, BJP leader in the Assembly, in the presence of state president Surya Pratap Shahi, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti and national vice-presidents Kalraj Mishra and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

It said statues of Sant Kabir, Ravidas, Uda Devi, Bijli Pasi, Jhalkari Bai will be installed in the memorials and parks developed by the Mayawati government, the Ganga Expressway project would be scrapped to protect environment around the river, and a law enacted to stop development of expressways along rivers and canals.

The manifesto promised to fix the state advisory price of sugarcane at Rs 300 per quintal in the next crushing season, give one cow free to every family living below the poverty line and impose a ban on cow slaughter.

The party said it would take strong measures to check activities of ISI, HuJI and SIMI and, unlike the SP and BSP governments, there will be no interference in the working of police and security forces. It said 40 districts in the state were affected by terrorism and religious fanaticism.