BJP manifesto: Modi woos farmers ahead of election

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India has entered full election mode: voting is due to begin on 11 April, with the final ballot cast more than five weeks later on 19 May. Every day, the BBC will be bringing you all the latest updates on the twists and turns of the world's largest democracy.

The BJP releases election manifesto What is happening? The governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released its election manifesto, which promises a slew of welfare schemes to India's farmers - a key vote bank in a country where nearly half the po[CENSORED]tion is engaged in agriculture. A farmers' income scheme that targeted only small farmers (those who owned up to two hectares of land) has now been expanded to all farmers in the country - they will each now receive 6,000 rupees ($86; £66) yearly. Small farmers and traders will also now receive a pension from the government; and the party has renewed its earlier promise of doubling farmers' incomes by 2022. Why a problem of plenty is hurting India's farmers National security is a major part of the manifesto - India's home minister Rajnath Singh repeatedly referred to India's "zero tolerance against terror" while speaking after the manifesto was released. The document includes other welfare measures, from permanent housing for the poor to piped water in every household to water management and recycling. Why does this matter? It isn't surprising that the BJP manifesto targets farmers because Indian agriculture, blighted by a depleting water table and declining productivity, is in crisis. And protests by farmers have regularly made headlines in the past five years.