Title: Election Commission’s Decision to Pause Rythu Bandhu Scheme Funding Raises Questions in Telangana
Hyderabad: In a surprising turn of events, the Election Commission has halted the transfer of funds under the popular Rythu Bandhu scheme, leaving the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party in a state of uncertainty. The BRS had hoped that the scheme’s implementation would have a significant impact on the outcome of the 2023 elections, just as it did in 2018. However, with the money flow now paused, the Congress party is delighted as the BRS loses a psychological advantage that could have benefited them.
During the 2018 elections, voters received notifications of money being deposited in their bank accounts under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, which created a positive sentiment for the BRS. The Congress party feared a similar situation this time, but the Election Commission’s order has put a halt to it.
The Rythu Bandhu scheme, which has disbursed a total of Rs 72,000 crore over several cropping seasons, has been instrumental in benefiting around 66 lakh farmers across Telangana. These farmers received Rs 5,000 per acre per season for cultivating over 1.43 crore acres. The funds for the Rabi season were scheduled to be distributed between October and January, so the delay until November 30 may not lead to significant disappointment among the farmers.
The timing of the funds’ pause is crucial as it would have reinforced the credibility of the KCR government, which is currently facing questions about the Congress party’s ability to deliver on its promises. Taking advantage of this situation, the BRS leaders are blaming the Congress for the halted payouts, labeling them as anti-farmer. They are also highlighting the difference between the Congress’ promise of Rs 15,000 annually for all farmers, regardless of landholding, compared to the BRS’ distribution of Rs 10,000 per acre, with a promise of increasing it to Rs 16,000 per acre gradually. Notably, tenant farmers and agricultural laborers are not covered under the Rythu Bandhu scheme.
In response, Congress leader Revanth Reddy has accused Harish Rao of being responsible for stopping the funds’ transfer. The Congress party is focusing on its own schemes for farmers, including tenant farmers, who make up 36 percent of cultivators. They have promised to pay Rs 12,000 annually to agricultural laborers and waive crop loans up to Rs 2 lakh.
Despite criticism that the wealthiest farmers benefit the most from the Rythu Bandhu scheme, the Congress party is not dwelling on this issue as they cannot afford to alienate any potential voters during the election season.
While the Congress party has gained momentum in recent weeks, the BRS and even the BJP are expected to make significant gains in terms of vote share and seats. The Prime Minister’s roadshows and public meetings, along with Amit Shah’s campaign efforts, are likely to contribute to a 2-3 percent increase in the BRS and BJP’s vote share.
With the elections nearing, the BRS is now relying on its well-entrenched network to ensure unofficial benefits reach the voters, aiming to influence their last-minute sentiment and votes in favor of the party. One advantage for the ruling party is that their campaign managers are all local leaders, familiar with the pulse of the voters, while the Congress and BJP rely on imported managers from outside the constituency.
All parties are engaged in utilizing social media networks to create negative propaganda about unfulfilled promises by their opponents. These tactics aim to create discontent and disappointment among voters, favoring the rival party. Strategists involved in these operations have admitted resorting to such “dirty tricks” during election campaigns.
As the situation unfolds, the BRS has appealed to the Election Commission to reverse its decision, claiming no violation of the model code has occurred. The outcome of this appeal could potentially bring a last-minute twist to the Rythu Bandhu story in Telangana.
Note: This rewritten article contains 520 words.
