By Dr. Gyan Pathak
The issue of lying and dividing people is in sharp focus in the Rajasthan election campaign. The Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the BJP and PM Narendra Modi of lying and dividing people. PM Modi, in all-out attack, said that Congress government under CM Ashok Gehlot wasted five important years … and deserves zero marks, in addition to accusing the Congress dispensation of corruption.
People of Rajasthan are now reminded by PM Narendra Modi of their mistake of giving majority of seats to Congress in Vidhan Sabha election 2018, while the Congress Chief Kharge has reminded the people of their mistake of giving all the 25 Lok Sabha seats of the state to the BJP only one year later in 2019.
Kharge said the people elected 25 BJP MPs from Rajasthan in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, but they could neither bring funds nor water for the people of Rajasthan. His allegation has some truth in it and no one can refute it.
One can take example of the MPLAD scheme. Under this scheme every MP is entitled of 17 crore rupees to spend in development schemes in their constituencies, but the PM Modi led BJP government released little fund for them ranging from only Rs 5 crore to Rs 12 crore. Of the total amount of Rs425 crore, that the state was entitled to receive through this scheme, the Centre allotted only Rs187.5 crore so far as it is been published on the scheme’s website. PM Modi has been claiming of doing everything for Rajasthan and has been going on launching projects worth thousands of crores in his pre-election campaigns.
It shows that BJP MPs of the state could not bring the fund from the Union Government led by PM Narendra Modi, who is now mascot of BJP in the Vidhan Sabha election campaign. PM cares slogan is thus false, since he is not even ensuring release of funds to even BJP MPs for which they are entitled under this scheme. People of the state has believed on assurance of PM Modi and gave all the 25 seats to the BJP in Lok Sabha election, but they were betrayed.
One can see the performance of the state under the same scheme, since under the MPLADS scheme, the role of Member of Parliament is limited only upto recommendation. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the District Authority to sanction, execute and complete the schemes recommended by an MP within the stipulated time. The percentage of utilization of the released fund was 96.13 per cent while unspent balance was only 52.46 crore. It shows that performance of the officials of the state government was far more commendable, as against the deplorable performance on allotment of funds by the Centre.
Such a glaring example has provided an opportunity to the people to compare the performance of the BJP MPs of the state and Congress government led by CM Ashok Gehlot in the state, which may enable them to ascertain which party is actually lying and dividing the people only for votes.
In the 200 seat Vidhan Sabha, the Congress had won 100 seats, while the BJP could win only 73 seats. The situation has changed since. BJP had lost 3 seats afterwards and the party has only 70 seats in the outgoing Vidhan Sabha. Congress, on the other hand has increased its strength to 108 seats. This itself is an indication that BJP’s clout has been on the decrease in the state while Congress has been gaining strength.
Congress has launched an awareness campaign to apprise the people of the work done by the state government. Congress President Kharge has said that Modi talked about a “red diary” in his recent speeches and claimed that it has an account of the financial irregularities of the Rajasthan government led by CM Ashok Gehlot. However, “It is written in that red diary that the Congress will form its government again in Rajasthan after the upcoming Assembly polls,” he said.
Kharge accused BJP of copying the work done by his party. However, people will not give any copyright to BJP, and will remember the work of the Congress. BJP and others are following Congress in providing guarantees to the people. If his party retains its power in Rajasthan, it will also come to power at the Centre in 2024.
PM Modi on other hand has claimed during an election rally that he had already prepared a special giver from Delhi. “… the BJP government has decided that now the beneficiary sisters of Ujjwala will get gas cylinders from the central government for only Rs 600. Before Dussehra and Diwali, Ujjwala cylinder has been made cheaper by Rs 100 more.”
Seemingly in response to the Congress bringing a legislation of ‘right to free treatment’ to the people of the state, PM Modi has said in a rally, “BJP government prioritized the health of citizens and provided free treatment for low-income families through the Ayushman Bharat Scheme and the construction of modern hospitals.” It should be notes that Congress’s legislation relates to health sector, but what PM Modi has said relates to insurance sector. People are weighing and comparing both.
Congress is focusing on development and social welfare schemes they have launched during the last five years that has made Ashok Gehlot as a popular CM. Infighting in the party is much less than that is plaguing the BJP. Central BJP leadership is trying hard to overcome it while continuing divisive politics on communal line, which Kharge has alleged “dividing” the people.
People are trying to find out the half-truths played on them to ascertain which party and leaders are lying and dividing people. There is no wave or any perceivable undercurrent, indicating that people are not ready this time simply to be driven away by the political parties on false promises or communal passions. (IPA Service)
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