The BRS is locked in a fierce battle with the Congress, unlike in the past, and is going all out to steal a march over the grand old party.
Published Nov 25, 2023 | 12:25 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 25, 2023 | 12:28 AM
(Representational image/Creative Commons)
In what should come as a shot in the arm for the BRS, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has cleared the Telangana government’s request to credit Rythu Bandhu subsidy money to farmers’ accounts from Friday, 24 November.
The clearance of the ECI is expected to improve the BRS’ prospects of winning the 30 November Assembly elections in the state.
The BRS is locked in a fierce battle with the Congress, unlike in the past, and has pulled out all stops to gain an upper hand over the grand old party.
The request to the ECI by the BRS government in Telangana to allow it to credit the Rythu Bandhu assistance from 24 November is one such major political strategy to tilt the electoral scales in its favour.
Under Rythu Bandhu, the Telangana government pays farmers ₹5,000 per acre for kharif crops and an equal amount for rabi, taking the total amount to Rs.10,000 per acre, regardless of how many acres a farmer owns.
In the election manifesto, the BRS has promised to increase the subsidy amount to ₹16,000 per acre.
The BRS government always treated Rythu Bandhu as a trump card in turning the tide of public opinion in its favour.
Interestingly, the state government released the Rythu Bandhu assistance a few days before polling in 2018 as well.
It was considered one of the factors that helped the BRS sweep the polls by winning 88 of the 119 seats in the Assembly.
The officials said the Telangana government was authorised to kick off the distribution of the Rythu Bandhu assistance for the rabi crops of 2023 from Friday.
“Notably, the commission has clarified that this initiative will not be affected during the silence period and polling day in the state,” an official communication said.
The Agriculture Department of the state government, in an official statement late on Friday night, said that the assistance would be credited to the farmers’ account through DBT as the ECI did not give a green signal to distribute the assistance on 29 and 30 November.
Further, as banks have holidays from 25 to 27 November, it had been decided to transfer the money through DBT, said the statement.
It added that the Rythu Bandhu benefits would help about 70 lakh farmers across the state in the rabi season.
As the BRS has made it a practice of releasing Rythu Bandhu benefits on the eve of elections, taking advantage of the fact that it is an ongoing scheme, the Congress urged the ECI to direct the Telangana government to credit the Rythu Bandhu funds to the farmers’ accounts only after the polling for the assembly elections.
As the crediting of money ahead of polling day was violative of the Model Code of Conduct, the BRS government might be restrained from releasing the assistance before the polling day, the Congress told the ECI.
The BRS hit back at the Congress, arguing that the release of money under the Rythu Bandhu scheme was not a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, but a constitutional right of the farmers.
The BRS also accused the Congress of trying to deny the Rythu Bandhu benefits to farmers, and said it was out-and-out anti-farmer in character.
