“There has been announcement of direct cash transfer... The states where elections are due should have been excluded.
They (government) could not have done it under the (election) code of conduct,” Advani had said.
Gujarat goes to polls in two phases on December 13 and 17 and the Model Code is in force in the state.
The new direct cash scheme, aimed at plugging leakages and ensuring efficient delivery of benefits, will initially cover 29 welfare schemes mainly related to scholarships but leave out beneficiaries of subsidised food and fertilisers which involve “complex and difficult” issues.
Chidambaram has already rejected the opposition charge that the scheme amounted to offering bribe to people as there could be mid-term polls, saying, “It is an absurd argument. I cannot find a stronger word...
“People should choose their words carefully. People should hurl their accusations with a sense of responsibility.”
He claimed the scheme will be a “game-changer from the point of view of ordinary citizens of India” and its benefits will be long-lasting.
Ramesh had also said that it was an election promise of Congress in 2009 which was being fulfilled.
Without going into the merits of the cash transfer scheme, BJP has said its intention is only to draw the attention of the EC to the timing of the announcement.
“It appears to be the sinister intention of the government to use this for influencing the voters in Gujarat,” the BJP memorandum on cash transfer scheme had stated.
Referring to the claims of Union ministers that the scheme will be a game changer, the BJP said, “The announcement of game changer decisions are rarely timed without any expectation of a gain or major fallout.”
The BJP said as per the Model Code, the party in power cannot announce any financial grant in any form or promises thereof and rejected the government's argument.
