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Congress wants ECI to change disbursal date of Rythu Bandhu funds; KTR slams party as anti-farmer

However, the request has drawn flak from the BRS which said that the grand old party had once again bared its anti-farmer character.

Raj Rayasam

Published Oct 26, 2023 | 2:01 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 26, 2023 | 2:02 PM

Congress Rythu Bandhu

The Telangana cabinet may limit Rythu Bharosa payments to land under cultivation Representational Image. (Creative Commons)

Telangana Congress has requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure that the Rythu Bandhu subsidy amount be credited to farmers’ accounts either before 3 November — when nominations for the state Assembly elections begin to be accepted — or after the date of polling, on 30 November.

However, the request has drawn flak from the BRS which said that the grand old party had once again bared its anti-farmer character.

The Telangana Congress also appealed to the ECI to ensure that the Dalit Bandhu scheme, meant to benefit the Dalits, is implemented in such a way that it was not used to either intimidate or influence the Dalit voters.

Though both of them were ongoing schemes, the ECI should use its offices to ensure the implementation of the schemes in a way that there is no scope for the ruling party to derive an undue electoral benefit, said the party.

Also read: Pawan Kalyan discusses Telangana seat-sharing with Amit Shah

‘To uphold MCC’

AICC in-charge for Telangana Manikrao Thakre in his letter to the ECI, dated 23 October, said that though the Congress was in no way opposed to the transfer of money to the intended beneficiaries under Rythu Bandhu, for the sake of upholding the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), the ECI should ensure a fair election, restraining the ruling party from using the scheme to gain electoral benefit.

Thakre said the timing of the disbursement of the money under Rythu Bandhu raised suspicion.

While the amount for the first crop was disbursed in June, transferring the subsidy amount to farmers’ accounts for the second crop is yet to be done.

Though administrative prudence dictates that the disbursement be done before the MCC came into force, it had not been done, Thakre said.

He said that the Congress believed it was a deliberate delay by the ruling party to influence voters.

Also read: Sunitha Lakshma Reddy gets BRS ticket to contest in Narsapur

‘Influenced 2018 election’

“The ruling party carried out the disbursement of Rythu Bandhu on the day of polling in the 2018 Assembly elections which seemed to have helped its prospects. It was noticed that the transfer of money at noon led to a massive increase in voting and thereafter caused a swing in voting in BRS favour,” he said.

“We believe that such electoral manipulation of voters is patently illegal and undemocratic,” he said.

As regards Dalit Bandhu, he said that it was a scheme that was launched ahead of the Huzurabad byelection in 2021.

Though the Congress always welcomed any benefit going to Dalits, it was apprehensive that the scheme would be used to induce voters either through fear or favour into voting for the BRS, he said.

“We are especially concerned that the ruling party will try to influence the votes of our Dalit brothers and sisters through the threat of withholding the benefit of the scheme. In this case too, we would request the ECI to step in and ensure a level playing field,” he said.

Also read: Congress handpicks NS Boseraju to counter dissent in Telangana

KTR slams Congress

As soon as the contents of the Congress representation became known, BRS working president KT Rama Rao came down heavily on the Congress for trying to deny benefits to farmers under the ongoing welfare schemes.

“Farmers would cut the Congress down to size in this election for trying to hurt their interests,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), on Thursday, 26 October.

He wondered if the Congress might want power supply and drinking water also be stopped to the voters because in these two benefits, too, the grand old party might see the KCR image.

He said that by making the representation, the Congress had proved that it was anti-farmer.

“The farmers would not forgive the Congress for hurting their interests. Already in Karnataka, farmers are suffering for voting for the Congress,” he said, wondering if the Congress was scheming to wind up the scheme if it ever came to power.

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