NEW DELHI, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- In the run up to the parliamentary elections, India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set up 17 committees to look after campaign, publicity, formulating the manifesto and other issues.

The party's senior leader and the country's Home Minister Rajnath Singh has been appointed as head of the "Manifesto Committee," while Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will be one of the members of the committee besides heading the "Publicity Committee" for the parliamentary polls, most likely to be held in April or May this year.

The 20-person committee is tasked with preparing the party's manifesto, a statement issued by the party said.

Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari will head a 17-member committee to reach out to social and volunteer organizations while External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will preside over a group that will produce literature for the polls, added the statement.

Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar will lead the committee which will organize meetings of intellectuals.