In an apparent bid to counter the popularity of the BJP’s free ration scheme for the poor during the pandemic, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav said on Monday that if voted to power, his party would provide free ration to the poor for five years.
Addressing election rallies ahead of the sixth phase of polls in Ambedkar Nagar and Basti, Mr Yadav said, “Apart from the free ration, we will provide one litre mustard oil and one kg ghee a month. We have thought it through.” Earlier, he had promised to provide two free LPG cylinders a year to the poor.
In the first five phases, the double dose of free ration from the Central and State governments has emerged as one of the most popular schemes of the ruling party that has found resonance at the grassroots. The scheme that started in March 2020 has been extended till Holi. The Opposition parties have been looking for ways to counter it but have found little success
Woos youth
Reaching out to massive discontent among youth over unemployment, Mr. Yadav said the SP would ensure that the B.Ed and TET (Teacher Eligibility Test) holders and Shiksha Mitra got absorbed in government jobs.
Following the BJP leaders’ penchant for acronyms, Mr. Yadav said in Basti, “they are teaching you ABCD, we will tell them something in Hindi. ‘Kaka gaye hain, Baba bhi jayenge (When Kaka has gone, can Baba be left behind)‘.” With Kaka, he meant “kale kanoon” (black laws), the contentious farm laws that were repealed by the Union government in the run-up to the elections.
Basti and surrounding areas are an important centre of sugarcane farming, with the presence of the SP’s alliance partners: the Rashtriya Lok Dal, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, Gondwana Gantantra Party and Sanjay Chauhan. “We have created a rainbow alliance by diverse groups with respect and representation,” Mr. Yadav stated.
Modi’s claim
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a public meeting in Maharajganj, alleged that the “dynastic parties” kept Purvanchal “trapped in caste politics” and prevented the region from progressing. “By laying a network of roads and expressways and starting new trains, we have made travel comfortable for the poor and middle-class people. We have also started a special train for farmers,” he said.
Mr. Modi reiterated that the BJP worried for the poor. “We have provided free ration to 15 crore poor of the State without any discrimination,” he asserted.
He also underlined the importance of a strong Uttar Pradesh for a robust Central government. “The world is going through a challenging phase. Nobody is untouched by this development. At such a time we need a strong India. From agriculture to the military, from ocean to space, we have to make a powerful India. In such a scenario, U.P. has the biggest responsibility on its shoulders,” he stated.
Holding a massive roadshow in Gorakhpur, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the party would win 80% of the seats. "The groundswell is because of the blessings of the public for welfare schemes of the double-engine government and zero-tolerance policy towards crime and corruption."
