Hyderabad: With just a week left before voting day, the Telangana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come out with a manifesto with a distinct religious colour, promising subsidies for temple visits as well as distribution of 100,000 cows in the state.

The 40-page document released by the state BJP President K. Lakshman also promises a gaushala (shelter for stray or unwanted cattle) in each Mandal (administrative division), spread over two hectares, for the protection of cows.

The BJP says, if it is elected to power in the state, it will provide subsidies to the elderly devotees going to Hindu holy places like Kailash Mansarovar, Kashi and Puri.

The party’s promise of a cow shelter in each mandal is being seen in contrast to the promise of Congress-led opposition alliance to set up a 30-bed government hospital in each mandal of Telangana.

The BJP has also promised to set up an exclusive court to deal with cases of dispute over temples and strengthen the Hindu Dharmika Parishad.

Other promises made by the party in its manifesto include the waiver of farmers’ loans up to Rs2 million (Dh105,388), free borehole or pump sets.

A 50 per cent subsidy would also be made for girls pursuing higher education to buy scooters, the party said, while there would also be free laptops for girls studying undergraduate courses.

It also promised free bicycles for girls from the 7th to the 10th standard, Rs1,000 scholarships to all girls from 7th to 12th standards, and smartphones to all members of women’s self-help group.

A Rs500,000 grant would also be given to every self-help group, as well as Rs5,000 per month house rent to the poor families until free houses were built for all the eligible poor families.

Meanwhile Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh continued his election tour of the state on the second day on Friday, where he criticised both the ruling TRS and the opposition Congress-TDP alliance.

Addressing election meetings at Kumaram Bheem-Asifabad, Warangal and Nagarjuna Sagar he said, since the TRS came to power, it had failed in fulfilling its promises and the people were unwilling to believe in the opposition alliance.

He said the party’s political opponents were trying to scare Muslims away from the BJP by distorting its image.

The BJP is hoping Prime Minister Modi’s second election tour of the state on December 3 will further brighten its prospects in the state.

Modi is scheduled to address a rally at Lalbahadur Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday evening.