Y Satya Kumar
BJP National Secretary
The BJP figuring as the main rival in four of the five states that go to polls in November stands as a testimony how it is influencing the political consequences in the country. To contain the BJP, the Congress has been making various false promises to the people in MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, like supply of LPG connection for only Rs 500 each, paying Rs 1500 to each woman, waiving of crop loans and providing free power up to 100 units.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is going about these states and making the promises. Even in Rajasthan, the Congress offers Rs 2,000 per month to women, 10 kg of rice free of cost to each family, free travel by RTC buses for women, unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 pm for the unemployed and free supply of power up to 200 units a month and so on.
It made similar promises even in Chhattisgarh. The Congress, which held power for over six decades in the country, is making such false promises at the national as well as the State level. Had these promises been implemented earlier, India would have become a heaven on earth.
The then PM Indira Gandhi gave the call Garibi Hatao. But, the Congress leaders filled up their coffers and became rich, the poor became poorer. The regime of Rajiv Gandhi, who came to power with Mr Clean image, saw perpetration of the Bofors scandal. During the 10 year UPA rule, corruption was rampant. Therefore, the people buried the Congress in elections.
What happened in Karnataka five months ago? To come to power at any cost, the Congress included five major guarantees in its election manifesto and gave wide publicity to it. Now the Congress is finding it difficult to fulfil the promises. The government would have to spend 22 per cent of the budgeted income to implement the guarantees. The Congress that came to power in Karnataka on the plank of supplying free power up to 200 units, soon after coming to power hiked the power tariff by more than 50%. It is facing a lot of difficulties to supply 10 kg of rice to each family. The Congress government promised free bus ride for women, but there are no sufficient number of buses. The State government is yet to kick off its other scheme of paying unemployment allowance.
The Chhattisgarh government offered to give 10 lakh jobs and pay Rs 2,500 pm towards unemployment allowance. The State is going to polls again, but there was no trace of fulfilling the promises made. In Rajasthan, a Rs 20-crore scandal surfaced at tenders level in implementing Jal-Jeevan Mission. In IT sector, irregularities to the tune of another Rs 5,000 crore were reported. Large-scale corruption came to light in the mid-day meals scheme.
Now KCR seems to have learnt the trick of making false promises. KCR who hitherto had not reduced the price of the LPG cylinder is now out offering to slash the price by at least Rs 500. He is promising pucca houses, life insurance cover for all, creation of 3 lakh jobs, unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 per month. The million dollar question is who stopped KCR from implementing all these programmes during his 10-year tenure? Had he created jobs for the unemployed, why should a woman called Pravalika commit suicide?
Because of the inefficiency of the State government, question paper leaks have become a routine. Did anyone pay attention to the agitation of the unemployed in Telangana? Can KCR, who did not have the capacity to conduct the exams, release a White Paper on the status of his election promises made during 2014, 2018 and 2019?
Did KCR give relief to the people reducing the tax on petrol? Did anyone benefit in Telangana except KCR, his family members and his camp followers? KCR boasted of building 24 hospitals on a par with NIMS, announced special package of Rs 50,000 crore for Dalits, reviving the closed companies, developing an industrial corridor from Hyderabad to Warangal, creation of roads and drainages in all towns and villages, cleansing the River Musi and so on.
He created several useless corporations and borrowed money recklessly for them. The Hyderabad city, which should have become a global city, reminds us of a slum even if it experiences a minor shower. The electricity department, which was caught in a mire of debts, is about to collapse. In fact, 20 per cent of the state’s revenue is going to service the debts.
The BJP never makes false promises practising election politics. The BJP is the only party that submits progress report card on the fulfilment of the promises made to the people. Ever since Modi came to power, he changed the culture of making false promises. The BJP prepares its election manifesto only after receiving feedback from the people.
During the past nine years of the BJP regime in the country, unprecedented infrastructure development projects have been implemented. Bharat, which emerged as the fifth largest economy in the world, is soon going to improve its rank by climbing up to the third position.
Of the total Rs 50 lakh crore foreign investments received, lion’s share of the foreign investments went to the productive sector. The BJP’s agenda is development, but nationalism is akin to the flag for the party. The BJP is going to secure highest number of seats in the forthcoming elections as people are aware of these facts.
