Elections are great things in India, it keeps on happening every now and then. Whether it is General Elections (Lok sabha), Rajya sabha Elections (Lower House), State Assembly Elections, Local Body Elections or any other small or big election, Frisbees/gimmicks are common tool to attract the people

This Frisbees are the common things among parties which keep on using as long term tool to fool people for votes. This Frisbees are not from any parties or individuals pocket but are given from the tax payer’s money and directly or indirectly the bank and other common citizens are affected because of this.

Every time, a loan waiver happens, it is the state-run banks (which are the major lenders to farmers) that take hit, or in other words, it is the public money that is used. For example in the recently announced, poll gimmick by the congress, Rahul Gandhi, while doing the khat sabha, he announced Loan waiver promise to the 'Kisans' of the state at his ‘khaat’ (loot?) sabhas. One question, will the bank from next time, not give to this individusual money again who has defaulted the earlier taken money and what will be the impact of the gimmick socially, are we not making the person more weaker to live in a society.

  1. Congress Party: Rahul Gandhi marked the beginning of his election campaign in UP by launching the loan waiver promise to the 'Kisans'of the state at his ‘khaat’ sabhas. Earliar It happened when the UPA announced Rs 70,000 crore loan waiver in 2008. It again happened when the Andhra
  2. AAP Party: According to a PTI report, Kejriwal said there that if AAP comes to power in Punjab, the farmers of the state will be made debt-free and their loans will be waived off. "For rest of the farmers, loan interest will be waived and till December 2018, all farmers of Punjab will be rid of debt.
  3. Telangana: Earliar governments announced loan waivers to farmers in 2014. In both cases, it ultimately harmed both the bank and the borrower
  4. AIADMK: in the Run up of the assemble election 2016 J Jayalalithaa made a long list of announcements
    1. Free laptops to Class X, XII students with free internet
    2. Free mobile phones
    3. Free settop box for Arasu cable TV network
    4. Doubled to 8 grams gold for BPL girls getting married
    5. 50 per cent subsidy to working women to purchase mopeds

      And famous announcement by J Jayalalithaa,

“Only a mother knows what her children need. Which is why, I gave much more than what I had promised in the last elections,” she said.

“In the future too, I will come out schemes and projects that you cannot even dream of or expect.”

  1. DMK: Earliar assembly elections, the DMK's manifesto promised free distribution of color TV sets to each household which did not possess the same, if it was elected to power.

None of these parties are saying they will clear the debt from the parties’ fund. Should there not be a rule where if a party makes such announcement, they should be accountable and made to pay from their party fund.

As per the Supreme Court, freebies destroy appetite for elections, asks Election commission to frame guidelines on poll manifestos

About The Author

Archana Roy is an Indian fact-checker and news writer, writing news for Ayupp since 2014.

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