Shillong, Dec 30 (IANS) The BJP has decided to lodge a complaint with the Election Commission against the Trinamool Congress for its promise to implement an income support scheme if the party is voted to power in Meghalaya in the Assembly elections scheduled in the state next year.
The Trinamool has promised to roll out the Meghalaya Financial Inclusion for Women Empowerment (MFI WE) scheme that will provide assured monthly income support of Rs 1,000 per woman per household in the state, if the party is voted to power next year.
The MFI WE, also called ‘WE Card’, was announced by Trinamool supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Shillong on December 13.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Vice President George B. Lyngdoh said that opposing ‘WE Card’ exposes BJP’s anti-poor politics, claiming that 1.50 lakh families have already registered for the scheme.
BJP’s Meghalaya unit chief Ernest Mawrie said that there is no mention of the reason as to why this scheme is required, terming it as nothing but an attempt to exert influence on the voters.
“The Trinamool did not disclose how it will raise funds for the scheme,” he told the media, adding that such a scheme should be seen as a corrupt and unethical practice under the sections of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, as its intent is nothing but to bribe the voters.
Claiming that the ‘WE Card’ scheme failed in West Bengal, the BJP leader accused the Trinamool of making false promises since it does not have any development agenda.
Referring to Meghalaya BJP’s decision to move the EC, Lyngdoh said, “This is an attempt of the BJP to block a pro-people scheme which is designed to uplift the poor and marginalised. It only exposes BJP’s anti-poor and anti-development politics. It also shows that the BJP has disregard for the needs of the people of Meghalaya.”
The Meghalaya Trinamool leader reiterated that the ‘WE Card’ scheme is meant to serve the people of Meghalaya and throws light on the vision of governance put forward by the Meghalaya chapter of Trinamool Congress.
“Similar models have been used all over the country and in other nations, where such schemes have only empowered the community to take giant strides towards development. We seek the blessings and support of the people for a government that knows what it will do in the next five years, unlike those who think only three months before the elections,” he added.
“Just ahead of the Gujarat and Himachal Assembly elections, the Centre had extended the free food scheme only for three months. Multiple sops were announced in Gujarat ahead of the elections amounting to Rs 80,000 crore, which included around Rs 29,000 crore worth of projects unveiled by the Prim Minister.
“Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suddenly announced Rs 20,900 crore for PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, which will give Rs 6,000 to farmers via direct transfer. Is the Meghalaya BJP aware of these facts,” he asked.
–IANS
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