Do populist schemes pave the way for victory in elections? Congress will face difficulty after PM’s attack

Need for debate on free announcements

It is not that election promises of freebies to the people are limited only to particular parties. Be it Congress or BJP, both announce election slogans for the public in the elections. Apart from pointing fingers, no party can claim to be completely honest. The BJP’s manifesto attacking the Congress promises initiatives like the Gogo Didi scheme. Under this, women will be given Rs 2,100 every month. Under the ‘Yuva Sathi Allowance’ programme, youth will be given unemployment allowance of Rs 2,000. There is also a promise to provide gas cylinder for Rs 500. Also, two free cylinders will be given during festivals.

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Before the elections, political parties seem to be more dependent on free announcements as well as welfare schemes to win. These schemes failed the electoral test in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Both the governments had to look for a way out of power. At the same time, BJP retained power in Madhya Pradesh on their strength. In such a situation, the question arises whether directionless populist plans automatically translate into votes. Especially for the party which is in power. Political analysts believe that there should be a debate on the impact of such announcements and such schemes as well as its reach.

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What happened to the Election Commission’s instructions?

Here questions also arise regarding the instructions of the Election Commission in which the Commission had asked the political parties to suggest ways and means to raise additional resources to fulfill the promises of their manifesto. It was also asked to explain what impact the promises made in the manifesto would have on the financial stability of the state or central government. In October 2022, the Election Commission had issued a standardized disclosure proforma for parties. It was to declare the extent and extension of coverage of the promised scheme, the quantum and financial implications of the physical coverage and the ways and means of mobilizing resources to meet the additional expenditure incurred in fulfilling the promises.