Six months before the assembly elections, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced free electricity up to 200 units every month for consumers even as the 50 per cent subsidy for those consuming between 201 and 400 units will continue. The AAP government has already proposed to make bus and metro rides free for women.
ThePrint asks: Will Arvind Kejriwal’s policies of freebies work in the Modi era?
Kejriwal’s policies could work in Delhi polls because they cater to a distinct voter base
Rahul Verma
Fellow, Centre for Policy Research
I would prefer not to use the term ‘freebies’ as there is a certain negative connotation to it. The truth is that governments in developing countries do use tropes like subsided or free power, water, food for elections.
Before addressing whether Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s policies of free water, electricity, and subsided transport will work, it is important to first acknowledge the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as one of the top contenders in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections. They may have lost badly in the Lok Sabha election, but Kejriwal is a popular figure as well as polarising.
His policies can work because it is evident that he is trying to cater to a very distinct voter base. Free water and bus pass, creation of mohalla clinics – all create a very distinct social base with great appeal. On the flipside, the programmes might not work because some other issues could take prominence and divert the voters. The 2019 Lok Sabha election is an example where the focus shifted from economic to issues related to national security and leadership.
Moreover, it is important to note that Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement of free usage of electricity up to 200 units will cost the state exchequer a huge amount of money, which can possibly dissuade the public. This is because the public is happy to get something for free but gets alarmed when it hears about the cost. And politicians usually do not tell the cost of policy measures while announcing them – they only speak of the benefits.
Politicians do not tell the cost of policy measures – they only speak of the benefits
Also read: DTC estimated to lose Rs 300 crore/year if AAP’s free ride scheme for women is implemented
Giving freebies before election is India’s bribe politics. Modi did it and now Kejriwal is doing it
Ashutosh
Former spokesperson, Aam Aadmi Party
I am sure the free electricity announcement by Arvind Kejriwal will be celebrated by many and hailed as another revolutionary step. In reality, the question should be asked if it is really so. This step is going to benefit 81 per cent of Delhi’s population, while the rest will have to pay for power consumption.
This is a growing trend in Indian politics. To lure voters, freebies are announced just before the elections. Narendra Modi successfully did it, announcing to give farmers Rs 6,000 annually just days before the 2019 Lok Sabha election. And he did it retrospectively. So, by the time voting days arrived, many had already received Rs 4,000. Was it not a bribe?
Kejriwal being a shrewd politician is wiser by Modi’s example. He knows the assembly election in 2020 won’t be easy like 2015. He is facing a serious credibility crisis. His party fared badly in Lok Sabha polls, with five candidates losing their deposits.
The free power announcement is part of bribe politics. It might be good politics but it is bad economics. In a market-driven economy, nothing should be free. Voters in India are openly bribed in the name of a welfare state while the Election Commission keeps its eyes shut. Do these measures help people or the country in the long run? It does not.
Also read: AAP freebies can’t make up for govt’s patchy performance. Delhi needs better infra, not sops
Hype of ‘Modi era’ is media’s projection. No significant change in public reaction since he came to power
Sandeep Shastri
Political Scientist and Pro Vice Chancellor, Jain University
First of all, there is a need to distinguish the different types of concessions given by the government. One is by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal himself. This concession focusses on people’s critical needs and is given out over a period of time. If implemented properly, it plays an important role in the well-being of citizens and receives a good public response. The other type of concession is populist in nature, like free transport and electricity. This is usually announced when elections are around the corner. The Indian voter can see through this very easily and is sophisticated enough to tell the difference between the two.
The second point is that the response of different segments of society is varied to such policy measures. In 2015, Kejriwal received support from all groups. The middle class saw him as an alternative to the usual way of politics and the lower classes as their saviour. However, four years later, Kejriwal’s main support base is only the poor. The middle classes and the ‘well-to-do’ are not too excited by his announcement of such concessions.
To answer whether these policies will work in the Modi era, one must understand that this ‘Modi era’ hype is projected by the media, because there has been no significant change in terms of public reaction since he has come to power. As opposed to the promise, citizens have always responded to the scheme’s implementation and whether it resonates with them.
Efficacy of Kejriwal’s populist measures would be lot higher if Narendra Modi wasn’t in the scene
Sanjay Kumar
Director of Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS)
When Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won a massive victory in the 2015 Delhi assembly election, it had a disproportionate support base. The AAP’s overall vote share was 54 per cent and the vote share they got amongst the poor and economically weaker sections was 65%. But in the last 5 years, the popularity of Kejriwal and his party has gone down. They are particularly unpopular among the middle and upper classes although they have managed to maintain their support base among the economically poor. This is mainly because of their policies – be it revamping government schools or setting up mohalla clinics – that cater to this section.
In the past three-four months, the AAP government has introduced several populist measures, which are aimed at consolidating their support base before the assembly election next year. This will lead to the party facing difficulty in garnering support among the upper and middle classes.
The big question, however, is whether these populist measures will work. To a large extent, they will. But it is also important to note that the efficacy of such measures would be a lot higher if Narendra Modi was not in the picture.
In the Modi era, policies floated by opposition parties often get diluted because of the BJP leader’s aura, more so in Delhi because of its proximity to the central government’s seat. If these policies were to be implemented in a geographical location away from Modi and the Centre, then the impact of such announcements would be a lot more. Another point to note is that these policies will not have the kind of impact the AAP and Kejriwal hoped for.
By Revathi Krishnan, journalist at ThePrint