To gain political advantage, the BRS counted on its flagship programme, Rythu Bandhu, which has helped thousands of farmers. The scheme, started in 2018, provided ₹5,000 per acre to each farmer. During this rabi season, the government was supposed to provide funds to about 64 lakh farmers, but the State was scheduled to vote on November 30.
With the Congress crossing the majority mark, it becomes pertinent to inquire why, despite the fanfare, Rythu Bandhu did not work wonders for the BRS. While examining the voter response to various State government initiatives for farmers, it was found that nearly four in five (80%) farmers benefited from Rythu Bandhu, and three in four (76%) benefited from free power supply. However, a higher number of voters cast their votes for the Congress party compared to the ruling BRS (Table 1).
Even though Rythu Bandhu was a flagship programme of the BRS, only four of every 10 (43%) of those who benefited from it voted for the party. This suggests that the initiative may not have translated into unwavering political support. Nonetheless, the BRS benefited from the Rythu Bima scheme, as data suggest that those who benefited (30%) from this scheme favoured the BRS more compared to the Congress (Table 1).
The findings also suggest that despite farmers benefiting from welfare schemes launched by the Central government, such as the PM Kisan Yojana and the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, they voted for the Congress. Nearly three in five (61%) farmers in Telangana acknowledged receiving benefits from the PM Kisan Yojana, and less than half (46%) of them voted for the Congress (Table 2). The BJP did not gain any edge from the scheme.
Despite the BRS’s reliance on farmers’ welfare schemes, its electoral defeat in Telangana indicates that farmer benefits did not secure political loyalty. Voters, despite reaping rewards from government schemes, leaned towards the Congress.
Jyoti Mishra and Nirmanyu Chauhan are researchers at Lokniti-CSDS
Published - December 05, 2023 01:31 am IST
