SNCN ACHARYULU
Hyderabad
After the Election Commission of India (ECI) failed in changing the guidelines in the Election Code of Conduct requiring political parties to explain how they will fund their election promises, all major political parties are competing with each other in announcing freebies before the Assembly elections.
Now, political parties are free to announce freebies during elections without going into its financial implications and due to that they are failing to implement their election promises. The ruling BRS of Telangana failed in delivering on its promises which were given during the 2018 Assembly elections. For example, the BRS in its 2018 election manifesto promised to pay Rs 3,000 per month to unemployed educated youth as an unemployment allowance. But till now, this promise has not been implemented by the BRS government.
In the same way, the BRS promised to waive the loans of farmers below Rs one lakh after coming to power. But this also was not implemented fully. The main political parties in Telangana, that is, the BRS and the Congress, are likely to compete with each other in announcing freebies before the Assembly elections. The Congress has issued some declarations promising many things to some sections of people. During his recent visit to Khammam district, former AICC President Rahul Gandhi announced that if the Congress is voted to power it will increase pensions given under the Aasara scheme from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000. The Congress is also planning to announce some schemes which were announced during the recent Karnataka Assembly elections where it came to power. The BRS is waiting for the Congress to announce its freebies to spell out its schemes. In fact, the EC had proposed to change election guidelines insisting that political parties would have to make a standard declaration in their manifestos on promise-wise expenditure, intended beneficiaries and sources of funding.
The EC had written to all recognised national and state political parties seeking their views on this proposal. Some political parties supported this proposal but some others opposed it. However, the EC has not taken a final decision on this even after a year.
There is a debate across the nation over the announcement of freebies by political parties during elections. Telangana is facing financial problems and due to this, the BRS government was unable to implement many of its promises given during the last Assembly elections.
Even though the EC is an independent body it is not taking a decision for now on changing election guidelines to control the reckless announcement of freebies by political parties.
