Rewards for votes: “Jo Dega, Wo Lega”

NK SINGH

Two news items this week did not get the attention that they deserved. After BJP’s defeat in Mungaoli and Kolaras assembly by-election, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited some villages in the two constituencies. 

These villages were selected carefully: these were the communities that bucked the trend and voted overwhelmingly for BJP. It was a thanks giving tour by a grateful leader.

Chouhan visited Dhodhiya and Gunheru villages in Ashoknagar district on March 4. The helmets were singled out for this privilege because BJP got 490 votes in Dhondhiya as against 90 polled by Congress. Similarly, in Gunheru village his party had secured maximum number of votes.

The chief minister showered gifts on the villages – Dhondhiya, Gunheru, Semri and Banjara Chak – that preferred BJP over Congress, as a thanks-giving gesture. “If they have given without restrain,” he declared, “why should I maintain restrain!” The CM was flanked by the defeated BJP candidate, Bai Sahab Yadav, the recipient of voters’ largesse in these villages.

The bounty that would cost the state exchequer more than Rs five crore included drinking water schemes, electricity sub-station, health centre, schools, road, new buildings for Anganwadi, panchayat at and PDS, reconstruction of irrigation tank and survey for a new reservoir.

Two days later, Chouhan visited Berkhedi, a remote village nestling deep in forest of Shivpuri district, to thank villagers who gave 322 votes to BJP as against just 9 to Congress. He announced a Rs 19 crore irrigation tank, a 9-km road and a high school.

The village, he said, had given 99 per cent votes to BJP, adding, “jo dega, wo lega.” He said: “the one who gives, will get back. Henceforth, I am going to keep a tab.” The message to other villages in the region was clear: you get the goodies if you vote BJP.

"No cooking gas if you vote Congress" 

To understand the significance of the chief minister’s action things must be put in perspective. Kolaras and Mungaoli by-election had turned into battles of prestige between Congress MP from that area, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Yashodhara Raje Scindia, a senior member of Chouhan cabinet, had sparked off a major controversy during electioneering by telling voters that those voting for Congress would not get benefits of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, as it was BJP’s scheme: “Why didn’t the gas scheme come to you people? It is because this is BJP’s scheme. You vote for Congress, you don’t get the scheme. You vote for BJP, you get it."

BJP’ star campaigner explained: “If you vote for Congress, why will we give it to them? Why will we give you gas through Congress? We will not give you.” The Congress complained that the minister was threatening voters. The Election Commission reprimanded her.

Now the chief minister says, “Jo Dega, Wo Lega.”

A chief minister takes oath of office under schedule 3 para 5 of Constitution of India. He is sworn, inter alia, to faithfully and conscientiously discharge his duties and promises to “do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution and the law without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.”

He is appointed chief minister of a state, not the chief minister of a party. Can the government give preferential treatment to some villages because they voted for the ruling party?

It is an open secret that politicians in power try to ignore development work in “enemy territory”. Officers confide that often their ministers are reluctant to sanction development schemes for towns or villages they consider “politically hopeless”.

As a consequence, we often see state governments complaining that central government is starving them of funds and elected municipality and panchayat chiefs complaining of step-motherly treatment by rival political parties in power. Constitutionality of such actions apart, does that help the parties at the hustings?

Tailpiece

Wiping running noses of scrawny children and taking chubby toddlers in arms is a favourite pastime of politicians during electioneering. So are announcing freebies? But does it pay, politically?

One of MP’s flagship schemes is taking the elderly, along with an attendant, on pilgrimage around the country. The state exchequer pays for it. Lakhs of voters have benefitted from the freebie. But when the government called the beneficiaries to attend a meeting  last year, all expenses paid, they simply vanished. In Indore, for example, only 12 of the 12,000 odd beneficiaries turned up for “being honoured”.

Former BJP Minister Laxmikant Sharma had been organising mass weddings in his constituency for almost three decades, showering gifts on the newly-married couples, much before the state government started a similar scheme. In the last assembly election an ungrateful electorate showed him the door. So, much for your freebies!

Powers That Be, my column in DB Post of 10 March 2018

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